On the Outside, Looking In
by Storywriter55
Summary: The annual FBI commendation dinner is coming up and the team is about to receive an award of excellence – but where does Neal fit in? Part of the 'Neal and Sara's Wonderful Adventure' series (16 weeks).
1. Chapter 1

_Special thanks to ansel for planting the seed for this story and for her wonderful original art work._

 **On the Outside, Looking In**

(Week 16)

 **Chapter 1**

Neal moaned as he drifted through that fleeting and unsettling state of consciousness, somewhere on the continuum between blissful sleep and rude awakening. He could hear the sound of retching off in the distance and he sat up abruptly, coming to as reality finally kicked in. Regrettably, the all-too-familiar sounds coming from the bathroom had become common place lately, although with each passing day he'd dared to hope it would be the last. He padded over to the bathroom, taking a quick detour to grab a glass of water from the kitchen sink and he made his way to the back of the apartment. He stood in the doorway to the bathroom waiting patiently and taking in the unfortunate yet recurring scene before his eyes: Sara Ellis, leaning over the toilet bowl while her body heaved uncontrollably.

After ten solid weeks of morning sickness, Neal and Sara had finally found a happy medium between him rushing to her side – which made Sara uncomfortable – and having to stay away completely – which made _him_ uncomfortable. He waited the obligatory few seconds until his girlfriend composed herself and sat back on her heels, indicating the worst of it was over and he bridged the gap between them, letting himself fall on the floor behind her and handing her the glass of water.

She looked up bleary-eyed, her face red and puffy and gave him a weak smile.

'Aren't you tired of this routine?' she asked, her voice hoarse

'Not as much as you are' he answered with a small encouraging smile

Sara took the glass from his hand and brought it to her lips while Neal slid back, settling up against the wall and inviting her to let herself fall back against him. She was breathing roughly, still recuperating from the efforts associated with emptying her topsy-turvy stomach and she willingly let herself lean back against Neal's chest, his arms opening to welcome her. She burped noisily and laughed out loud, unable to help herself – at this point, it was better than crying.

'Quite the sexy girlfriend you've got there, Caffrey' she said in a self-deprecatory tone

'I'm not complaining' Neal responded, letting his arms slide around her waist and settling his hand on her ever expanding baby bump

Neal loved her burgeoning belly and he took every opportunity to run his hands over it, feeling its now familiar and comforting roundness and fullness as well as its amazing significance. His laptop had 13 different pregnancy websites on his 'favorites' list which he navigated daily, getting all the information anyone could ever possibly want on the various stages of pregnancy and he reported diligently every night as they prepared to fall asleep. Of course, that didn't keep him from prattling on at all hours of the day to anyone who would care to listen including, to their utter chagrin, Mozzie, Peter and all of his co-workers at the White Collar Unit.

'I'm sorry you have to go through this every day' he whispered in her ear, his tone empathetic

'It's not your fault I'm in the minority of women who are still having morning sickness at week 16' she said, letting her head drop back on his shoulder

She felt him flinch and she instinctively pulled forward in response; Neal had suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder three weeks earlier and although it had been no more than a graze really, certain movements still caused him discomfort – though he tried to downplay it for Sara's sake.

'Still hurts, huh?' she asked as she placed her hand on top of his on her belly

'Barely' Neal answered, pulling her back in to continue the impromptu snuggle

The couple had experienced a very tumultuous beginning to Sara's pregnancy. Back in early August, she'd found herself smack dab in the middle of a nasty recovery and she'd suffered a broken arm, a concussion and bruised ribs. Just three weeks ago, she'd ended up in hospital again with a placental abruption and Dr. Cooper had ordered her to take a week off work to rest and recuperate. Add to that the fact that Neal had gotten shot during the takedown on the Moretti case and they'd barely had a chance to settle into a 'normal' pattern of preparing for parenthood.

'I don't _feel_ like going to work' Sara whined as she ran her hand languidly over Neal's, an unusual admission for the typically overzealous insurance investigator

'Why don't I see if I can get a day off later this week and we can do something special together?' Neal suggested, kissing the top of her head

Since the Moretti case, things had been quiet at the office, Neal spending his days going over old cases and the usual, boring mortgage frauds. Surely Peter wouldn't begrudge his CI a day off to spend with his pregnant girlfriend after all the extra hours he'd put in lately.

'I don't know, Neal... I've only been back to work a couple of weeks' she said wistfully

'I think Sterling Bosch owes you a _lot more_ than a couple of days off, don't you?' Neal reasoned

'O-kay' she answered slowly as a smile slowly returned to her face

It _would_ be nice to spend some time together for a change, she thought, maybe do lunch, go shopping or just hang out watching old movies, reconnecting after a busy few weeks.

'I _do_ need some maternity clothes...' she said turning to gauge Neal's reaction

Neal, Mr. Metrosexual, loved shopping and he gave her a big smile in response. He loved to help Sara choose clothing and unbeknownst to her, he'd already picked up a number of outfits he'd squirreled away in their large walk in closet and he was just waiting for the right moment to surprise her with them.

'Sure. And we could visit that new kids' boutique down by the art district' he added excitedly

Their small apartment was already overrun with baby clothes – although they were still in the dark about the baby's sex and Sara cringed every time she saw Neal arriving with another new purchase.

'Neal, you've got to stop buying clothes, we're not even going to know the sex of the baby for a couple of weeks yet' she said

He jostled her and kissed her neck as a means of diversion.

'You just let me... spoil our baby' he said, finally

He'd gotten Mozzie to liquidate some of his 'assets' and he was having a hoot walking into the various kids' boutiques in Manhattan and buying whatever his little heart desired, usually on a whim. He hadn't told Sara yet but he'd been hoarding stuff in a second floor bedroom that June had made available for him. It was chock full of toys and unisex clothing and Neal smiled at the thought – he couldn't wait to show Sara all the great loot he'd gotten.

'Feeling better?' he asked as his hands slowly began to wander to other parts of her body, his intentions now shifting from wanting to comfort her to something entirely different

'Huh, huh' Sara answered as she smiled naughtily and turned to face him

WCWCWC

Peter watched as Neal strolled in to the White Collar Unit with a wide grin on his face and a spring in his step.

'Neal! You're late!' he said harshly as he greeted his CI

Neal's face grew serious and he gave his boss an eye roll, hoping for some indulgence; after all, it wasn't his habit to be late.

'Oh' Peter relented as he took in the look on Neal's face 'Was Sara sick again this morning?'

Neal nodded, playing it up – Peter didn't need to know that Sara was feeling anything but 'sick' by the time he'd finished giving her some Caffrey loving right there on their bathroom floor.

'The morning sickness... it's just not letting up' Neal said, his face solemn

'Aww, that's really too bad' Peter answered sincerely

He was more than pleased to see Neal settling into a more domestic way of life and far be it from him to stand between a man and his pregnant girlfriend especially when said girlfriend was Sara Ellis – but he _was_ wise to Neal's tricks after three years of sharing his daily life with the conman.

'Look, the Museum of Modern Art sending in someone to meet with us at eleven. You want to sit in?' Peter asked

He had a feeling he might be needing his CI's insight on this new case, although the details were sketchy for the time being- something about paintings from their newly acquired collection of Mayan art.

'Yeah, sure.' Neal answered with his usual enthusiasm. Anything was better than facing that pile of never ending files waiting for him on his desk.

Peter prepared to return to his office and stopped suddenly, turning towards his partner and he pointed an accusatory finger at Neal.

'Oh, and Neal – you should know better than to use Sara's delicate condition to cover up your early morning romp in the sheets' he said as he turned on his heels and walked away

WCWCWC

'So? Any plans for tonight?' Neal asked as he stopped by Jones' desk on his way back from fetching coffee

'My mom's in town so I'm taking her out to a Broadway show' Jones said, his eyes still riveted on his computer screen

'Nice. You should take her to dinner at Nerai, over on 54th. Their tuna tartare is out of this world' Neal said as he propped himself up on the edge of Clinton's desk to continue the conversation

'You don't know my mom, Caffrey. Pizza or fried chicken is more her thing' Jones said as he looked up

'Well...tuna tartare _is_ an acquired taste, I suppose' Neal admitted, realizing his suggestion hadn't been very useful 'But John's Pizza in Times Square has this amazing brick oven...'

Neal could be counted on to have unlimited suggestions about restaurants and entertainment venues in the wider New York area, a testament to the high life he once lived and still strived for.

'Thanks Caffrey' Jones answered 'We might just give that a try'

'Neal!' the men heard from up above

Peter stood on the promenade, looking down sternly at his crew and he pointed in the direction of the conference room.

'Looks like I'm being summoned' Neal said as he stood to follow the sound of his master's voice

He sauntered up the steps, noticing a woman already seated in the conference room. She must have slipped by him while he was getting his coffee – Neal's face tensed; he prided himself on being aware of all new arrivals in their offices. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him as instructed by Peter who was standing at the head of the table, poised to make the introductions.

'Neal, this is Roseanne Lebeau, she's one of the curators at the MoMA' he said as the woman rose to take Neal's hand

'Ah, the infamous Neal Caffrey' she said with a definite French accent as he smiled his megawatt smile at her

She was a very classy looking lady, in her mid to late forties, Neal guessed, with a lot of grace and poise and in some strange way, she reminded him of June.

'C'est un plaisir de faire votre connaissance' Neal said, obviously trying to impress the woman by showing off his knowledge of the language of Molière

She smiled, a small smile, not the one he was hoping for - the one he usually got when he hit a home run and impressed the hell out of unsuspecting marks, especially women. He drew back and dialed it down a notch; surely he'd find a way to make inroads, all he had to do was be patient.

'Ms Lebeau is concerned that some pieces from their collection of Mayan paintings might have been tampered with or switched out for forgeries' Peter explained

Neal took a seat, his attention now focussed on what Peter was saying.

'I brought in a piece that I suspect might not be an original' she said as she reached behind her to pull a small painting out of a portfolio

Now, Neal was interested, his eyes moving to the painting, eager to have a closer look. He glanced at the curator, waiting for permission and took the small framed painting from her hands, making his way to the window to get the best light possible. Within mere seconds, he looked up, very cocky and sure of himself.

'Well, there's no doubt about it – this is a fake' he said

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sara Ellis stood and adjusted the snug dress once again before making her way to the outer office to speak with her new assistant. The dress kept riding up over her baby bump, driving her crazy and she grudgingly came to the realization that she had put off moving on to maternity clothes long enough. Maternity clothes! Just the thought of those loose fitting potato sacks was repulsive. Sure, styles had changed over the years and there was some very high end, fashionable stuff available these days but Sara couldn't help thinking of just how big she would eventually get and she wondered in passing if Neal would still be making the moves on her like he had that morning, once she was as big as a house. She thought back to the patient she'd seen last week in Dr. Cooper's waiting room – the woman had nodded off to sleep while she waited, snoring loudly and when she'd finally been called in to see the doctor, she'd barely been able to get up off the chair. Is that what the future held for her?

'Eileen!' she called out, her tone impatient

The young woman was her third assistant in as many years and Sara hoped she would be the one to finally live up to her high expectations. Of course, the word around Sterling Bosch was that any sane person would rather poke their eyes out with toothpicks than work for Sara Ellis; she had a reputation as a pit bull, demanding, pushy and just plain nasty at times. But that was before those pregnancy hormones had started kicking in and Sara was determined to hang on to this new assistant - who appeared to have all it took to keep up with her.

'Over here' Eileen responded from a hidden corner of the office where she was filing something away in the large cabinet

'I'm expecting Mrs. Jameson at eleven. Can you ask her to wait when she gets here? I have to make a call first' Sara asked, forcing a most disingenuous smile (damn dress was driving her nuts)

'Sure thing' said Eileen with a much more sincere grin

Sara tugged at her dress once more and returned to her office, closing the door behind her. She rolled her eyes at no one in particular as she thought of the call she was about to make... to Mozzie. He had another lead for her, having taken to the generous compensation Sara slipped his way whenever he pointed her in the direction of a stolen item from the long list of uncovered items insured by Sterling Bosch. It was a win/win situation and she hoped Neal's buddy wasn't spreading himself too thin. If he kept ratting out those associates of his, he'd eventually get a reputation as a snitch and end up shooting himself in the foot. But that wasn't her problem; she was just thankful for the leads and over the past six months, she'd recovered three pieces she would not have been able to find without Mozzie's precious help.

The call to the number he had reluctantly shared with her went straight to voice mail - as expected - and Sara listened to the odd message preparing to respond in the agreed upon fashion although the whole covert thing was nothing but a major pain in the ass.

'You've reached Mortensen's Apothecary' the voice which was definitely not Mozzie's said 'We are pleased to fill your order as soon as possible. Leave your prescription number and sit by your phone for instructions'

Sara responded as she'd been instructed, thankful there was no one within earshot to witness the senseless rhetoric: 'This is Rosanna-dana-dana' she said, rolling her eyes and trying desperately to keep a straight face 'and I need a copy of the new Dan Brown book before...' she stopped for a moment, tempted to go off script but thinking better of it – it would just throw Mozzie off and make the whole painful experience even more excruciating '... before it's too late and the government starts planting listening devices in our milk jugs'

She hung up and waited; the lengths she'd go to for a recovery! The phone rang almost immediately and this time, Sara recognized Mozzie's voice even through the Russian surplus voice changer he was using.

'This is Copernicus' he said 'how can I help you?'

'Mozzie, it's – ' Sara began before she was cut off

'Copernicus' Mozzie corrected on the other end of the line

'Copernicus...' Sara repeated with a long sigh 'Is the swap still on for tomorrow?'

'I know nothing of a swap' Mozzie answered, that recognizable lilt in his voice 'but I _can_ meet you at four o'clock this afternoon at our usual spot'

'But Mo- Copernicus... Is this really necessary? I've got a really busy day ahead of me' Sara asked – she didn't have time to go jumping through hoops for a lead

Her question was answered by silence, Mozzie's stubbornness peeking through.

'Fine, fine. I'll be there' she said before hanging up

This one better be worth it, she thought.

WCWCWC

'Are you sure it's a forgery?' Peter asked as he watched Neal continue to scrutinize the small painting

'This is a Rivera, right?' Neal asked as he turned to face their guest, giving her a self-satisfied smile

She nodded silently in response, somewhat impressed by his obvious knowledge of the genre.

'Circa 1925?' Neal asked, already knowing the answer to his question

'1926' she responded as Neal glanced smugly at Peter

'This type of canvas wasn't widely available until the 1950's' Neal said 'There's no way this is an original – although the technique _is_ very good... ' he added as he continued to examine (or was that admire) the forgery

As much as Peter hated Neal's smug, arrogant attitude, he was always in awe of his extensive and all encompassing knowledge of all styles and periods and he begrudgingly had to admit that, since his release, Neal had been instrumental in helping solve the large majority of forgery cases that had come their way.

Peter glanced over at the curator who sat, looking very disappointed indeed, at the news Neal had just delivered.

'I was afraid of that' she said '... and I suspect it wasn't the first or worse yet, it won't be the last'

'Tell us about this collection' Peter said, his curiosity piqued

'The exhibit is still being prepped and doesn't open until next month' Ms Lebeau said

'How many pieces are we talking about?' Neal chimed in

'Almost a hundred... some paintings, murals, wood carvings even stone sculptures' she responded, looking distraught

'And how many people are in direct contact with the collection while it's being prepped?' Peter asked

She thought for a moment, computing the answer to Peter's question. This was the largest exhibit they'd had in the last couple of years and she'd had to put a number of her staff on it – including a couple of new hires.

'I don't know... a half dozen or so' she finally ventured

Neal and Peter exchanged looks; this had all the makings of a great case and they could see the excitement mirrored in each other's eyes.

'Can we get a full list of the pieces from the collection?' Peter asked 'And a list of all the staff who are working on the project?'

'Of course' she responded 'What do I do in the meantime?'

'Hang tight' Peter said 'Who else knows about your suspicions?'

'Just the Director; he's the one who pointed me in this direction' she admitted

'Well, keep it that way for now' Peter admonished 'Let us do some digging and we'll get back to you as soon as we have anything'

Peter stood to walk her out of the conference room and watched her leave before closing the door behind her and he turned to Neal, whose face, he noticed, was lit up like a Christmas tree at the thought of a nice juicy case.

'Looks like we've got ourselves a new case' he said triumphantly

WCWCWC

It was getting chilly on this late October afternoon; the sun was still out but it had begun to lose much of its vigor as fall took a definite hold of New York City. It was a few days before Halloween and dots of black and orange decorations were everywhere, in homes, decorating storefronts and offices.

Sara sat shivering on a bench in Central Park, 'their' bench, the one where she and Mozzie usually did their business. It was in a quiet area of the park, away from curious onlookers and questioning stares and Sara looked around, feeling her leg bouncing up and down impatiently as she waited for him to appear. Mozzie's flair for the dramatic never ceased to astound her and he always chose the most absurd and convoluted methods of communication – never the direct route.

Her phone rang and she let out a long slow breath before picking up, it was Mozzie's MO to call first and 'case' the place before daring to make an appearance out in the open where he might be spotted.

'Hello Mozzie' she said, her voice irritated

'Is there something I should know about?' came Neal's familiar voice

'Hi!' she said, pleased to hear his voice

'What's going on?' he asked, curious as to the odd way she'd answered her phone

'You don't want to know' she responded

Although Neal had discovered Sara and Mozzie's unholy alliance a few months back, he was desperately trying to stay out of it - despite his natural curiosity.

'Okay' he reluctantly answered 'I was just calling to see if quiche was okay for dinner'

She could hear dishes clattering in the background and she imagined him, all warm and toasty in his (their?) apartment getting things ready for dinner. What she wouldn't give to be sitting there on the couch watching him work – preferably with a glass of Italian red in her hand.

'Sounds great!' she answered 'But no asparagus, it's been giving me heartburn lately' she added, remembering the last time the meal had repeated all night as she'd tried to sleep

'Deal' Neal answered 'You sure you're okay? It sounds like you're outside somewhere'

'I am but...' she began

She suddenly spotted Mozzie giving her some secret hand signal from behind a nearby tree and she waved to him in response.

'Look, Neal. I've got to go but I'll be home in an hour or so' she said dismissively

'Okay. Be safe' he warned before adding 'I love you'

'Bye' she responded, distracted by the short bald guy who was madly gesticulating in her field of vision

She stood to make her way to the bushes, feeling like some sort of a pervert and Mozzie retreated deeper into the lush trees forcing her to follow.

'Here' he said as he handed her a piece of paper 'It's one of the missing Tarsilas from your list but I'm not sure which one; Sam the Sham gloated to everybody who would listen that he already had a buyer lined up'

Sara looked down at the piece of paper with a time and place, obviously typed using some old untraceable Underwood typewriter that only someone like Mozzie would have in his possession. She took an envelope out of her purse and watched as Mozzie furtively looked around, making certain they were really alone.

'You'll get the rest after the recovery' she said as she handed it to him

'You know I don't do this for the money, Sara' Mozzie explained as he took the envelope and placed in surreptitiously in his jacket pocket

'Frankly Mozzie, I don't care why you do this' she said, cutting him off

She pulled her coat tightly around her to protect herself from the cool wind. Although she was pleased with the exchange of information, at the moment, all she cared about was the warm apartment at June's and the great meal – and foot rub – that were waiting for her when she got home.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

'Ugh!' Sara exclaimed as she checked herself out in the mirror by the bed. Her choice of dress for the day, one of her go-to favorites, looked like it had been obscenely stretched over a bowling ball, her misshapen silhouette staring back at her in the mirror.

As if on cue, Neal emerged from the back room, looking dapper in a dark blue suit and striped shirt and carrying a garment bag over his arm. He knew that she'd been putting off making the switch to maternity wear and he'd noticed her madly tugging at her clothes the last few days as she continued to try to shove a square peg into a round hole. Sara loved her high end wardrobe and she was reluctant to leave it behind for what she thought would be inelegant, boxy clothes but Neal had done his research and he'd found some beautiful, high end maternity clothes he knew she would love.

And so he'd waited for her to get sufficiently frustrated before he made his move – one did not push Sara Ellis into anything and Neal knew that better than anyone else.

'I was going to wait' he said as he stopped to stand behind her 'but I really think the time has come'

Sara turned to face him and watched as Neal unzipped the garment bag, revealing a gorgeous emerald green dress which she could only assume from the smug look on his face was a maternity dress.

'Is that what I think it is?' she asked, unimpressed, as she eyed the dress up and down

She was working herself up to hate the damn thing but she gave it the old once over – it _was_ her favorite color, after all.

'Awww, Neal. I don't _want_ to wear maternity clothes' she whined, her face contorted

'Sara, you're always uncomfortable. The baby needs room to grow in there' he said as he brought his hand to her belly and gave it a loving pat

'Come on, just give it a try, okay? You'll see, this one is only meant to fit until your sixth month, it's _not_ that big' he explained as he turned her around to start unzipping the dress she had somehow managed to squeeze herself into

She let out an exasperated sigh, letting Neal do his thing and watched longingly as her beloved coral dress fell unceremoniously to the ground, suddenly afraid she'd never get to wear it again. As if he could read her thoughts, Neal picked it up off the floor and carefully laid it on the nearby bed.

'We'll just put this one away for a couple of months, you'll be wearing it again before you know it' he said as he placed the new garment over her head and coaxed her to slip her arms in the armholes, as if he was dressing a two year old

Sara balked but let Neal finish the task and watched as his face became illuminated at the sight of her – not one of those phoney Caffrey smiles but a real honest to goodness fond grin.

'You look beautiful' he said as he kissed her gently. He prepared to turn her around so she could see herself in the mirror and Sara cringed, momentarily closing her eyes, afraid to look. This was another major step in leaving her carefree life behind and it terrified her.

'Come on, look' Neal cajoled as she finally peeked

It looked like any other dress she might have chosen for herself, with just a little bit of extra wiggle room around the belly; it was a beautiful shade of green, fell just above the knee the way she liked it and if was fitted everywhere but around her baby bump, giving her room to move gracefully without constantly having to tug at an ill-fitting dress.

She smiled despite herself as she saw her reflection.

'How did you know?' she asked Neal, finally relaxing

'You're pregnant, I knew you were going to need maternity clothes sooner or later' he said with a modest shrug 'I was just waiting for _you_ to be ready'

Despite her misgivings, he'd hit one out of the park with his choice and Sara turned to look at her boyfriend, her eyes becoming moist at the sweet gesture on his part.

'Thank you' she said, her voice cracking – damn hormones

'You're welcome' he responded, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek and wiping a wayward tear

'And tonight, I'll show you the other stuff I got you' he said triumphantly

Sara shook her head in disbelief.

'Caffrey!' was all she could think to say

'Oh, and I've gotten tomorrow afternoon off so clear your docket. I've got another surprise for you' he added, a glimmer in his eye.

Sara smiled back, intrigued 'I could get used to this' she said as she laced her arms around his neck

WCWCWC

The mood in the White Collar offices was upbeat when Neal strolled in on this Wednesday morning, right on time. The atmosphere was always different when they were onto a big, juicy case and Neal immediately spotted some activity up in Peter's office as Diana stepped out and prepared to make her way back to her desk. He deposited his trilby on Socrates' head and without so much as slowing his pace, he strode over to meet her.

'Lots of activity around here this morning' Neal crooned

'Yeah, Caffrey - thanks to your diagnosis yesterday' she said as she reached her desk and settled in with a list in her hand

'I'm going to get to work checking the background on some of these employees the museum has working on the prep' she said 'Oh, and Peter wants to see you'

Neal raised his eyebrows in response although it was no surprise that Peter would want him front and centre on this case.

'Caffrey' he heard as he walked by Jones' desk 'Thanks for that suggestion yesterday. My mom loved that pizza place'

Neal gave him a thumbs up and continued on his way up towards Peter's office.

'Morning' he murmured as he stood in front of his handler

'Ah, good - you're on time!' Peter answered as he looked up from his computer screen

Neal cringed at the comment.

'Really, Peter? It was _one_ morning and I told you, Sara...'

'Yeah, yeah, yeah, save it' Peter said in mock annoyance

'I need you on the ground on this case. Can you start feeling out your contacts to see if any of this stuff has surfaced anywhere?' he asked handing him a long list of art

'Sure...' Neal said 'Do you think they'd be bold enough to fence it right here in New York?'

'If this guy is lifting stuff from his workplace, he has to stay nearby' Peter reasoned as he reached back and grabbed the forgery from their meeting the day before 'Oh, and can you give this the once over again and see if you can figure out who might be behind this?'

Neal took it from Peter's hand, looking it over once again.

'It's good but... it's not _great_ ' he ventured as he ran his hand over it

'You mean it's not 'Caffrey' great' Peter added

Neal shrugged nonchalantly; that was exactly what he meant.

'But all they need is something good enough to make the switch. Once inside the museum, no one would suspect it could be a forgery and they wouldn't be paying that much attention' Neal said

Peter nodded in agreement. 'Oh, and we need to go down to the Museum and see if we can spot any other fakes' Peter added as he returned his attention to his computer screen

'Yeah, about that...' Neal said in that tone that drove Peter crazy

He was obviously on the verge of some outlandish but no doubt brilliant idea on how to approach the case and Peter braced himself for what was coming, already imagining himself in front of Hughes trying to sell him on the crazy notion.

'I'm thinking going undercover is our best bet on this one. It would be a lot more useful if I could get in there and get eyes on the place.' Neal reasoned, his voice calm and hypnotic ' You know, get to know the players, the mood over there. We _know_ the leak is on the inside. Why give them a heads up by showing up there and start throwing our weight around?'

Peter gave him _that_ look as his eyes narrowed. It always preceded a few seconds of silence while he processed Neal's latest proposal but after three years of working with this brilliant man (not that he would ever tell him to his face), Peter knew that Neal's outlandish ideas were often the ones that ended up cracking the case wide open.

'You might be on to something. Let me run it by Hughes' Peter admitted before cracking the whip once more 'Now, get to work!'

Neal turned to leave, a smirk on his face.

WCWCWC

Sara was having a great day and she could feel the excitement building as the day wore on. She always got that way before a recovery and to top it off, she'd been feeling great, invigorated by the fact that three of her colleagues had commented on the great dress she was wearing – and one of them was Francine Pollard, that bitch from Mr. Bosch's office who never found anything positive to say about anyone or anything.

The phone rang on her desk and she glanced down at the display - Burke's Premiere Events.

'Hey El' she sang into the phone

'Hi yourself, you sound pretty chipper' Elizabeth responded

'Yeah, well, let's just say I'm having a good day' Sara said 'How are you?'

'Good. Badly in need of some girlfriend time, though. Can you do lunch tomorrow?'

Sara glanced at the ever-present agenda on her computer screen, noticing her Thursday afternoon blocked before suddenly remembering her mid-week date with Neal.

'No, sorry, not tomorrow. Neal's got the afternoon off and he's got some surprise for me...' she said, unable to suppress a smile

'Well, look at you two lovebirds!' teased Elizabeth, as if the two women were a couple of teenagers 'Well, what about Friday then? Oh, and how about we go shopping this weekend. We need to get outfits for the commendation dinner; it's in two weeks'

'What commendation dinner?' Sara asked, totally out of the loop

'Didn't Neal tell you? It's a once a year thing the FBI has and it's here in New York this year. Peter and the team are getting an award' Elizabeth said, pride evident in her voice

'Really? Neal never said. Okay, lunch Friday and shopping on Saturday then' Sara concluded before hanging up

WCWCWC

'And you think this is our best angle?' Reese Hughes said as his underling stood before him making his case

'Well, if we go in all guns blazing, we'll alert the perp and we'll never get to the bottom of this. Maybe we can even recoup some of the stuff that's already out there... if there _is_ stuff floating out there' Peter explained, repeating the argument he'd just heard from Neal

Hughes sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair, his fingers tented as he considered Peter's proposal.

'And you'll keep Caffrey on a short leash?' Hughes asked, his usual question

'Reese, I think you know by now, that Caffrey can deliver the goods' Peter responded

'That's not what I'm talking about' Reese Hughes responded 'and you know it'

'Look, Neal's settled down an awful lot these past few months. Impending fatherhood has really helped him focus' Peter explained

'Well, you can't change a leopard's spots' Reese admonished, with his usual 'glass half-empty' take on things

Peter prepared to leave, suddenly turning to face his boss. He had one more item of business to discuss although he feared the response he might get to his question.

'Reese, about the commendation dinner' he began as Hughes looked at him exasperated

The older man had a good idea where Peter was going with this and before Peter could say another word, he sat forward in his chair to speak.

'Don't even ask, Peter. Neal is not welcome at the dinner' he said, his voice firm

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

'But Reese, this award is a really big deal and you know as well as I do, that the team wouldn't even be getting this recognition if it wasn't for Neal' Peter argued

'This is not in my hands, Peter. You seem to be forgetting that Caffrey is a criminal informant. The commendation dinner is an opportunity to recognize the contributions of the Bureau's excellent staff. The higher ups in DC have made it perfectly clear that he has no place at this affair' the older man retorted

'In the past three years, we've gone from a 53% closure rate up to a whopping 92%! You can't deny that Neal's been the defining factor in making that happen' Peter argued, his voice growing louder

'Look, I know that Caffrey's played an important role on the team but Peter, he's a CI, he's still serving out his sentence for God's sake – he does _not_ belong at an event like this' Hughes said, not quite believing in his own words

'Is that what you _really_ believe?' Peter asked, staring at his boss

Reese Hughes let out a long slow breath and stood to face his underling as Peter continued to stand his ground.

'No, it isn't, not really. But there's protocol involved here, Peter, and you and I are bound to follow it' he said, knowing damn well his argument was weak

'There might be protocol involved, but there's also the issue of doing what's right. Neal deserves this recognition as much as Diana and Jones do - and as much as I do. He's put his life on the line time and time again for this team' Peter said, his voice insistent 'And you _know_ that to be the case'

Reese just stared back, obviously feeling uneasy.

'Will you at least try?' Peter pleaded as he leaned in and put his hands on his boss's desk

'You know it's the right thing to do, Reese' Peter added, his eyes glued to his boss'

'Fine, I'll give it my best shot. But I'm not making any promises' the older man finally relented as Peter gave him a big grin

'Thanks Reese' he said simply and with that Peter Burke made his way out of the office before his boss could change his mind

WCWCWC

Sara sat in the seedy bar, looking somewhat out of place in her stiletto heels and her new stylish maternity dress. She sipped on a glass of juice and waited patiently as the regular crowd drifted in, settling in around jugs of beer or, for the more hard-core clientele, glasses of straight bourbon. Mozzie had given her a photograph of Sam the Sham, another one of the associates he'd become disenchanted with over the years, and Sara kept an eye out as new arrivals stepped into the bar.

For Mozzie, this was all about defending his honor – or any 'perceived' slight to his integrity. After almost thirty years in the 'game', he'd learned who could be trusted and who should be shunned. He diligently kept a grudge list of all those who'd 'done him wrong' over the years and he'd appointed himself judge and jury - anxious to retaliate when the time was right. His clandestine arrangement with Sara Ellis provided him with the best of both worlds: he could make a few extra bucks on the side and get his revenge, all in one fell swoop. As per their secret alliance, he'd been keeping his eyes open for any art that resurfaced that had been insured by Sterling Bosch. Sara had provided him with a list of items she was looking to recover and he kept an eagle eye (and ear) out for any swaps he might hear about. When Mozzie had heard Sam boasting about how he'd recently come across the coveted Tarsila, he'd known the time was right to strike and to finally exact his revenge on the guy who had cut him out of a lucrative deal ten years earlier.

There was a small commotion at the door of the bar as a number of new arrivals stepped in and amongst them, Sara recognized her target, the man himself, carrying a large parcel with him. He nodded to a few of his fellow cronies as he walked by, moving steadfastly towards the back of the bar where a man sat alone at a table, sipping an amber colored liquid.

She rose from her stool at the bar and followed him. It was show time!

WCWCWC

'So, you like the new dress?' Neal asked as Sara curled up in his arms

Lately, they'd been hitting the sack as early as 9:30 or 10:00 as Sara's energy continued to wane. Unbeknownst to her, most nights, Neal would wait for her to fall asleep and get up to work on his latest art project or spend an hour or so reading before he called it a night and finally returned to her side. She needed the extra rest and Neal was more than happy to see her settled into the new routine.

'Yes, I do' she said as she let her hand linger on his bare chest 'You did good, Caffrey'

'Well, I've been around you long enough to know what you like' he said, pleased with himself

'Thank you' she said as she turned to place a gentle kiss on his lips

'Well, there's a lot more to come. Tomorrow, I'll unveil another beautiful garment from the 'Sara Ellis Mommy Collection' he said with a flourish

She laughed heartily, which was music to Neal's ears, especially after watching her suffer so much over the past few weeks.

'So, what's this big surprise you've got for me tomorrow?' she asked as her hand lingered on his chest, hoping to sweet-talk him into revealing the secret

'Ah, well, if I tell you _that_ , it'll defeat the whole purpose, won't it?' Neal teased, kissing her and sensing that she might be up for a little one on one

'Oh, I forgot to tell you' she said, suddenly animated and, consequently breaking the mood

'What?' he asked, amused at how her disposition could change so quickly these days

'I recovered that Tarsila today and guess what?' she asked, her voice childlike

'What?' he repeated with a small laugh, his voice patient as if he were chatting with a kid who didn't have the ability to stay on track

'It was a two for one' she exclaimed, propping herself up on her elbow

'What do you mean, a two for one?' he asked, his eyes narrowing

'Well, the fence had two paintings on him and he was trying to negotiate a sale for the second one' she explained

'Really? What was it? The second piece...' Neal asked, suddenly curious. He loved discussing stolen art and he felt his heart start to pump just a little bit faster at the thought. He kept current as far as what was going on in the criminal world and he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement when he heard about a daring theft somewhere in the world - despite working very hard at keeping himself out of trouble, he still thoroughly enjoyed living vicariously through others.

'It was some painting from a Mexican artist I've never heard of; you know, Mayan style. It wasn't on our watch list but I brought it back to the office anyway until we figure out who it belongs to' she said, doing her best to explain

At this, Neal sat up abruptly in bed, wondering if this could _possibly_ be what he thought it might be.

'Describe it' Neal said, as he got out of bed to grab the laptop from the kitchen table

'What do you mean?' she asked, puzzled

'What did the painting look like?' he asked as he began typing something into the search engine

'Well, it was a child with a...' she began

'... a necklace?' Neal asked as he brought up an image on the screen

'Yeah, how did you know?' Sara asked, puzzled

'Is this it?' he asked as he made his way back to the bed, sitting down next to her lying form

'Yeah! That's it. What's going on, Neal?' she asked staring at the screen

Neal was beaming from ear to ear. He hadn't had to lift a finger and yet, they'd seemingly recovered the original to the forgery he'd examined the day before.

'Sara, this is the original that was stolen from MoMA. From that case I was telling you about' he said, still grinning

'You're kidding!' she said

'It's part of that exhibit on Mayan art' he said as he closed the computer and grabbed a surprised Sara, hugging her enthusiastically

'Really?' she asked as she pulled away to look at him 'You're telling me that I've accidentally recovered a painting that was stolen from the Museum of Modern Art?' she said, needing more details

'That's exactly what I'm telling you. It's part of a collection that they're prepping for an exhibit that starts next month' Neal said, his look faraway

'Of course, we'd have to have it authenticated to be sure' he added

'I've already put that in motion back at the office. I wasn't sure exactly what I'd recovered and I asked for it to be evaluated' Sara explained

'Well, we've got to keep this under wraps for now. Whoever stole this and tried to have it fenced can't know that the FBI is on to him. Peter's sending me undercover to work in the prep room at MoMA to find out who the inside man is' Neal admitted

He hadn't even had the chance to tell Sara about his undercover assignment; Peter had just cleared it with Hughes moments before they'd left the office.

'You're going undercover?' she asked, suddenly worried 'Is it dangerous?'

Even though both of them were strong, independent individuals who were accustomed to being placed in dangerous situations and more than capable of standing on their own two feet, he couldn't help but understand her reaction. He'd turned into a bit of a 'father hen' lately himself whenever Sara told him about a recovery she was involved in – especially after that most unfortunate incident when he'd found her unconscious on the floor of a deserted warehouse. He never wanted either one of them to go through that again.

He settled back into bed and resumed his earlier position, his arms open wide as Sara pressed up against him. He realized that, now that the baby was a factor, he should probably consider Sara's feelings a little more before springing things on her. Although, the choice of assignments certainly wasn't up to him, he'd noticed that since Sara had gotten pregnant, Peter had been particularly careful not to place Neal in high risk situations. After all, Neal was the father of his unborn godchild and he needed to keep him safe from harm despite the CI's inclination for high profile, dangerous cases.

'Sorry, I should have told you at dinner' Neal relented; he'd have to be more considerate in the future

'I really don't think it's dangerous, though' he added 'I'm going in as Nick Halden and I'm going to try to figure out who's swapping out the art. The curator thinks there might be more pieces floating out there'

'Okay. But you _will_ be careful, right?' she admonished, tugging him at the waist to bring him closer

'I promise' he said, meaning it

'Because there's that big dinner coming up in a couple of weeks and you don't want to show up with a bruised face or something' she added, kissing his cheek and making her way to his neck

Neal pulled away for a moment to look into her eyes, not that he wasn't enjoying the feel of her warm, soft lips on his neck.

'What big dinner?' he asked

'The commendation dinner. Elizabeth says you guys are getting an award this year' she said returning to his neck

Neal lay there, baffled. No one had said anything to him about a dinner – let alone an award. He knew from talking to Peter that the commendation dinner was an annual event. Peter and Elizabeth had gone out to LA for it the year before but this was the first he'd heard about the team getting an award. Sara's insistent lips were now making their way down his chest and he chuckled softly as her hair tickled him on the way past his belly button, continuing on to other unmentionable parts of his suddenly aroused anatomy. He let out a moan as her mouth reached its destination and he heard Sara giggle in response.

Suddenly, the commendation dinner was the furthest thing from his mind.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The Harvard crew assembled in the conference room bright and early on Thursday morning, eager to discuss strategy on the MoMA case - Jones, Diana and the rest of the team waiting patiently for their boss and his CI to make an appearance. The two men could be seen chatting away in Peter's office next door; whatever it was they were discussing, it looked important – important enough for Peter Burke to keep his entire team waiting.

'So, can we get a look at it?' Peter asked as Neal finished recounting what had happened the night before – well, the G-rated portion of what had happened the night before

'Sara's setting it up for us right now. She said we could come by this morning and have a look' Neal said, his voice quiet, obviously pleased with himself

'If this _is_ the real thing, we've got to make sure word doesn't get out. Otherwise, it'll alert our suspect that we're on to him' Peter responded as he opened the door to the conference room and led the way in

Everyone sat at attention, anxious to hear the latest news on the case and Peter took his place at the head of the table, a glib smile on his face.

'Well, people, by some strange, miraculous coincidence that only seems to happen to Caffrey, here' he began 'the Rivera original seems to have surfaced; it was recovered by Sterling Bosch yesterday'

Jones glared over at Neal who was gloating openly. The guy seemed to walk around with a four leaf clover around his neck and a horseshoe up his ass, he mused, envious.

'It is presently sitting in the recovery vault over at Sterling Bosch and Neal and I are going to head over and take a look and confirm its authenticity. Jones, how are we doing with Neal's cover' Peter asked

'Well, we've fine tuned his Nick Halden alias, and he's ready to roll' Jones reported

'And what do we know about the staff who are currently working on the preparation for the exhibit?' Peter asked, turning to Diana

'Four of the staff are long time employees of MoMA. One of them has a record for a couple of DUIs, nothing on the others. The other two are people which have been brought in by the museum for the duration of the prep – Marnie James, a thirty two year old woman who dabbles in art and has worked off and on at a few Manhattan galleries' she said as she passed around photographs of the woman 'and this guy'

'This is Paul Stewart, although that appears to be an alias. Nothing much on him before two years ago. Facial recognition has identified him as Pernell Richardson. He's done some time for bond forgery and petty crimes; he's been in and out of the prison system for the past twenty odd years' she explained

'He's our most likely suspect but at this point, I don't think we can rule anyone out' Peter said as he glanced down at the photograph of the surly looking older man

'So. Neal. Ms. Lebeau has gotten you in to work with the team and you start your new job tomorrow' Peter concluded as he brought the meeting to a close 'The rest of you, stand by to back Neal up'

He was anxious to get over to Sterling Bosch and have a look at that painting. Sara would be able to tell them more about the fence she'd interrupted making the sale. Maybe if they leaned on him, he would give up the name of the person who'd provided him with the stolen painting. With high hopes, the two men left the Federal Building on the way to find some answers to their questions.

WCWCWC

'What have you got in that backpack, anyway?' Peter asked as they pulled into the multi-level parking garage a block away from Sterling Bosch

'Just some stuff' Neal said, purposefully evasive

Peter, for all his attempts at being 'all business', was a very curious guy and he always had an eye on Neal's every movement

'You _do_ remember you gave me the afternoon off, right?' Neal asked as Peter continued to scrutinize him

'Oh, yeah! What are you doing, anyway?' Peter asked

'Well, not that it's any of your business but I'm surprising Sara with a picnic lunch' Neal answered as they began the short walk to the high rise building

'So? What? You've got food in there?' Peter pressed on

'No!' Neal responded, annoyed at Peter's pushiness 'If you must know, I've brought her some comfortable clothes to wear. Peter, don't you have a life of your own to think about?'

Peter gave him an audible 'tsk' as they kept walking. Neal was still his responsibility – at least until he was eventually off-anklet - which was still a little over a year away (unless Neal did something to mess it up in the meantime). By then, his partner would be a dad and Peter looked forward to seeing Neal in that role although he had an inkling he'd be a wonderful father.

He thought back to his conversation with Reese the day before; he hoped his boss would manage to convince the higher ups to let Neal attend the awards dinner with he rest of his crew. It was a huge honor to be recognized country-wide as the team with the highest closure rate. Peter's team had been far from that feat just a few short years ago but Neal's arrival had really shaken things up and everybody on the team seemed to be better for it. Although Peter was the first to be on Neal's case when he didn't play by the rules, he had to admit that over the past three years, his partner's unique way of looking at life (and crime) had yielded some wonderful results.

But Neal often took unnecessary chances, operating under the mistaken impression that he was invincible and it was Peter's job to keep him safe – at least while he was under his watch. In that sense, Sara's pregnancy could not have come at a better time and although it had shaken the young couple to the core, it had forced Neal to come to terms with the consequences of his uncontrolled impulses.

Sara was standing in the lobby, waiting for them when they arrived, looking stunning in a classic black maternity dress with a matching jacket – an outfit Neal had unveiled for her that morning.

'Sara!' Peter said as he spotted her 'You look beautiful'

It wasn't his usual greeting but rather a testament to how great the glowing mother-to-be looked in her new mommy clothes – and who was she to complain?

'Why Peter!' Sara responded in mock coyness 'It's nice to see you too'

Neal just grinned in response; she _did_ look amazing – thanks in large part to his incredible fashion sense.

The trio walked to the elevator, making their way up to the 38th floor where Sterling Bosch kept its recoveries while they awaited an eventual reunion with their rightful owners. Neal had never actually set foot in the vault and the little devil on his shoulder was anxious to see what treasures were hidden there. Sara led the way, signing them in and stepping into the inner sanctum where several small rooms lined the hallway leading to a larger, main room with shelves and an open area where painting were kept. She expertly navigated the space, walking over to the spot where the Rivera painting awaited them, set up on an easel for easy viewing.

Neal's eyes wandered around the room, his illicit instincts kicking in as he took in the multitude of beautiful art around them. He forced himself to concentrate on the reason for their visit and walked up to the painting, pulling out the blacklight he kept on him at all times so he could examine the item close up.

It was exactly the same size as the forgery he'd studied earlier in the week and upon initial examination, it looked identical. Neal took the pair of gloves Sara offered him so he could more freely manipulate the painting and he proceeded to remove it from the easel to examine the back. His eyes were drawn to the type of canvas which had been used – the feature which had given the forgery away so easily. This canvas matched the period in question and Neal began to examine the painting itself, the strokes, the colors, the technique, the type of oil which had been used.

'This is definitely from that era' he said as he continued to examine the item

'The strokes match the artist's other works, the oil matches the period...' he continued as he took his time evaluating the item

Peter watched in admiration; no one but Neal could render a verdict with such confidence – confidence based on a discerning and in depth knowledge of the subject at hand. Considering he was self-taught, the feat was even more incredible, although Neal behaved as if it all came so naturally to him. He'd worked hard, in his own warped way, to get to this point – to be able to recognize a fake almost immediately. It had always propelled him to aim for perfection with his own forgeries over the years although now, he had to satisfy himself with examining those created by other 'artists' – none as good as his had been.

'This is definitely the real thing' he finally concluded after a few minutes of scrutiny 'but we'll let your authenticator render the final verdict' he added, turning to Sara and returning the gloves

'Sara, what do you know about the fence?' Peter asked

'His first name is Sam. He hangs out at the 'Rusty Nail' in the Bronx. Actually, I've got a picture of him' she said as she reached into her jacket pocket and handed over the photograph

'And how did you get the lead?' Peter asked, pushing for more

Sara exchanged a furtive look with Neal; she wasn't about to burn her lucrative relationship with Mozzie, not yet anyway.

'I'm sorry, Peter, I'm not at liberty to say' she responded

Peter knew there was more to the story but decided to let it go for now.

'Well, thanks for letting us in to have a look' he said as they prepared to make their way out

The threesome walked back to the elevator together and Neal hung back as Peter entered, on his way down and back to the office.

'Peter, you don't mind if I... stay behind do you?' Neal asked, a smarmy smile on his face

'But it's only 10:30' Peter declared 'I gave you the _afternoon_ off, not the whole day'

Neal stared back, a pleading look on his face as he gave Peter a discreet head nod towards Sara, who was keeping well out of the discussion.

'Fine' Peter exclaimed, exasperated, as he stepped into the elevator. Leave it to Caffrey to always push the envelope.

The door closed and Neal turned to Sara, his smile more sincere as he pulled her over to a quiet corner of the open space.

'Hey' he said, his voice hoarse, lacing his arms around her waist and placing a soft, lingering kiss on her lips

Sara looked around to make sure they were alone; after all this _was_ a place of business.

'This' he said as he glanced over at the bag by his feet '... is something for you to change into'

She looked down at the bag, her eyes searching his for some sort of explanation.

'Don't ask any questions, just change into these clothes...' he crooned, his voice low and sexy as he continued to hold her close '... and I'll be back in an hour to whisk you away for the afternoon'

What could she say? She shook her head in exasperation and pulled away, letting Neal go to... whatever he was off to do. He turned and gave her a wink before stepping into the waiting elevator.

'Oh, and by the way' he said with a sparkle in his eyes 'Peter's right. You _do_ look beautiful'

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sara Ellis stood in the executive washroom at Sterling Bosch, examining her reflection in the large mirror. Her boyfriend had done it again; he'd managed to choose an outfit that not only appealed to her sense of style but also fit her like a glove. The stylish slacks were fitted except for some comfortable stretch in the tummy area and Neal had bought her a fashionable blouse and beautiful woolen sweater in a gorgeous shade of grey to match. The bottom of the bag he'd left for her revealed a pair of comfortable shoes – so whatever he had in mind was probably going to be happening outdoors, she reasoned. She slipped on the comfy shoes and packed up the clothes she had just removed, taking care to place the beautiful (and expensive) dress in the garment bag he'd thoughtfully left for her.

She giggled in anticipation, thankful that none of her colleagues were nearby to witness the giddiness – after all, she had a reputation as a badass insurance investigator to maintain.

She absent-mindedly placed her hand on her stomach, feeling it again, that strange sensation – gas? she wondered. This was the second day she hadn't had to make an early morning emergency trip to the bathroom and she was grateful, hoping that she had finally turned the corner and moved on to another stage of her pregnancy, one that didn't involve emptying out the contents of her stomach every morning before she came to work.

She gave herself a satisfied grin in the mirror and stepped out, heading to her office to await Neal's return.

WCWCWC

Peter Burke kept an eye on the desk located right outside his boss' office; he hadn't seen Reese Hughes since the morning before and he was anxious to check in with his secretary to find out when he'd be making an appearance. He replayed their conversation from earlier in the week and shook his head. It was just a question of time before Neal heard through the grapevine that the New York office was being honored at the commendation dinner and Peter hoped he'd have the whole situation sorted out by the time his CI found out about the award. He couldn't fathom the whole team, minus Neal, being in the limelight at the dinner when he knew how substantial his involvement had been in their success.

Jones suddenly materialized before him and Peter snapped back to reality.

'Peter, we're all set with Caffrey's alias at the museum. We put out the word that Nick Halden has a checkered past and has some experience with forgeries. Hopefully, the information will make it to the right ears and our perp will make a move' he said as he stood there

'Thanks Jones' Peter responded 'Listen, have you seen Hughes around today?'

'No, I think he's out of town – someone said he was in Chicago for a meeting' Clinton responded

'Great!' Peter muttered sarcastically under his breath as Jones turned to leave

'Jones' Peter said as his underling turned back to face him

'This commendation dinner...' he began, not quite certain how to go on '... do you think Neal should be allowed to be there with us?'

The question obviously took Jones by surprise and he seemed to ponder his answer carefully before expressing an opinion on the topic.

'Well, Caffrey _is_ a part of the team, that's for sure' he began 'but at the end of the day, he's still a criminal informant and I really don't think it's his place to be at an FBI dinner'

Peter smiled faintly as he watched Jones walk away. Unfortunately, Peter feared, that opinion might be shared by a good number of staff in the white collar division and part of him understood why that might be so. But Peter knew, more than anyone else, that Neal Caffrey had given all of himself to the Bureau – well, all except for the part he would always keep hidden away – that part charming 'scoundrel' who always found a way to come out smelling like a rose even when he'd just stepped into a pile of shit.

He smiled, more sincerely this time, as he thought of all the times Neal put himself on the line for the team, taking chances – unnecessary at times – to make certain everyone was safe and the bad guys ended up getting locked up. Neal's moral compass, slightly wonky at times, usually led him to doing the wrong things for the right reasons and although his methods were not always on the up and up, he always 'meant' well. Peter had worked hard to bring Neal over to the law-abiding side of the divide but he realized that Neal would always have an edge, that bad boy gene, that added to his charm and appeal.

Above all, though, no one could deny that Neal Caffrey had a kind and gentle heart and if Reese Hughes wasn't able to pull a rabbit out of a hat, that gentle heart was about to be ripped out and stomped on.

WCWCWC

It was late October but still a beautiful, sunny day in New York City. Neal had managed to find a gorgeous out of the way spot in a hidden gem of a park in downtown Manhattan and he sat up against a tree trunk, Sara's back against his chest as they relaxed after a gourmet lunch, compliments of Second Street Deli.

By the time he'd reappeared at her office, Neal had changed into some casual clothes which mirrored Sara's: a pair of casual chinos, a shirt and a warm, gorgeous sweater in a dark shade of blue. Regardless of how elegant he looked in a suit, she had to admit her boyfriend looked just as fetching in casual wear and Sara had smiled in appreciation when he'd made his appearance, carrying a blanket and a large wicker basket.

Now that the bulk of the delicacies he'd purchased had been consumed along with a premium bottle of sparkling apple cider, they both sat back, relaxing and breathing in the crisp autumn air, finally letting go of the tensions of the past few weeks.

'Neal, you never cease to amaze me!' Sara said as she pulled his arms tighter around her waist

'That's my job...' Neal said with a grin '... to amaze you because _you_ do that for me every single day'

'Caffrey!' she countered with a laugh as she responded to his over-sentimental drivel 'you are _so_ full of crap'

He jostled her, slightly hurt by her response.

'I _mean_ it' he said 'You are carrying a little person inside you, don't you realize how amazing that is?'

She let out a small laugh; she still wasn't used to Neal's constant concern for the baby and for her wellbeing. She'd been taking care of herself all by her lonesome since she'd left home at a young age and to have someone dote on her was a new and slightly uncomfortable experience – one she had to admit she was learning to appreciate. She settled back in his arms, enjoying the quiet and the feel of Neal's arms around her when she suddenly felt tension in his body as he finally spoke.

'You know what you said last night about the team getting an award this year' he began as Sara nodded 'Are you sure you heard right?'

'Yeah, El said everyone was going to the dinner this year and that I needed to get myself a nice dress so I could look good hanging off your arm' she responded with her usual off-kilter humor 'Why?'

'It's just strange that Peter hasn't said anything about it' he mused

Peter Burke was a proud man and it seemed uncharacteristically modest of him not to be gloating about such a feat. He loved to boast about the team's continuously improving closure rate to anyone who would listen especially when he came across agents from visiting cities. If he hadn't told Neal about the award, there had to be a reason and Neal's overactive imagination was already trying to figure out what that reason might be – with worrisome results.

'Well, why don't you just ask him about it?' Sara suggested

'I suppose I - ' Neal began before Sara interrupted her voice excited

'Oh! There it is again!' she suddenly said, her hand moving to her stomach

'What?' Neal asked as he sat up straight, suddenly worried

'That... that... Here, put your hand here' she said as she placed Neal's hand on the spot where she'd just felt the flutter for the third time in the last little while

Neal's face became illuminated as he caught the tail end of the almost indiscernible movement.

'Is that what I think it is?' he asked, breathless

'I don't know... I think so' said Sara, just as surprised

'Whoa' Neal whispered 'That's incredible'

Sara turned to face him, noticing the same goofy look on his face that she suspected was on hers.

'This is really happening, isn't it?' she said

Neal looked on, stunned. Suddenly this baby was more real than ever.

WCWCWC

'Aren't you working today?' Peter asked as he busied himself in the kitchen, preparing coffee to go

It was Friday morning at 8:00 and Elizabeth was sitting at the small desk in the kitchen, barefoot and still in her robe – looking like she had all the time in the world and perusing something on her laptop.

'I took the day off. I'm having lunch with Sara' she answered without bothering to look up

'That's nice...' Peter said, looking over her shoulder at the fancy outfits displayed on the screen

'So what's all this?' he asked, as always curious

'I'm checking out some maternity dresses Sara might like for the commendation dinner. We're going shopping tomorrow' she answered matter of factly

Peter stopped dead in his tracks as her words sunk in.

'Honey, I'm not sure that's such a good idea' he finally said as she looked up at him questioningly

'What do you mean? She told me she's finally made the move to maternity clothes and I want her to be comfortable' El explained

'No, no, not that. It's...' he hesitated before continuing

'So, you've already _talked_ to her about the dinner? Did you mention the award?' he asked

'Of course, I did Peter, what's wrong?' she asked as she saw the color draining from his face

Peter let out a sigh as he realized it might be too late; chances were Sara had already spilled the beans to Neal. For all he knew, Neal had been walking around the office all week waiting for someone to say something about the upcoming event, no doubt speculating as to why Peter hadn't told him yet. Knowing Neal, chances were he'd already figured out the whole thing.

'The higher ups in DC don't want Neal at the dinner' Peter blurted out as El's face dropped in response 'They say it's not his place...'

'But, honey, that' s ridiculous. Neal is as much a member of that team as Jones and Diana are' she said, standing to face him

'I totally agree, honey. And Reese promised he would work on getting them to let Neal attend but... to be honest, I'm not sure they'll budge' Peter grudgingly admitted as much to himself as to Elizabeth

'Oh, my God. That's horrible. Poor Neal! Does he know?' she asked as she started to clue in to the ramifications of her blunder

Peter shrugged, desolate.

'He hasn't said anything but if he already knows the team is getting an award, chances are he's waiting for me to bring it up' he said

'I'm sorry, honey. I shouldn't have said anything to Sara' El said 'Now, what am I going to do? Tell her we're cancelling our shopping spree because she and Neal aren't welcome at the dinner?'

Peter shrugged again, uncertain how they were going to get themselves out of the delicate situation.

'Never mind' El continued 'I'll think of something'

The Burkes exchanged concerned looks; life wasn't fair.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Neal Caffrey had been to the Museum of Modern Art on a number of occasions in his lifetime – although as of late, his visits had been more legitimate than those he'd carried out during his illicit youth. He circled around the building, searching for the staff entrance as he'd been instructed to do by Roseanne Lebeau. He checked out his reflection in the glass door, adjusting his jeans and smoothing out his T-shirt and he headed in to find his new boss. She stood waiting for him in the lobby as he entered.

'Welcome _Nick_ ' she said with a knowing smile 'Come on, I'll take you down and introduce you to everyone'

She took his elbow and led him down a long corridor towards a secluded section of the building - an area the general public would never get to see. Like the perennial tip of the iceberg, it was surprising to see the enormity of the space needed to support the running of a large metropolitan museum such as the MoMA: prep rooms, storage areas, offices, meeting rooms.

After many twists and turns, they finally entered a cavernous work room, lined with dozens of crates, work tables, easels and various, sundry cleaning materials. A couple of the staff who'd been busy working looked up when they entered the room and Lebeau called out to everyone to gather around so she could introduce her new recruit.

Getting art ready for an exhibition was a mammoth undertaking, especially with an exhibit of this size. There were countless tasks to carry out including unpacking of crates, cleaning of canvasses, writing up a complete inventory including size, placement and lighting, there was framing to be changed out on some of the paintings, publicity to be developed for the exhibit and the actual assignment of the various art pieces within the museum's walls, including appropriate lighting and placement within the allocated space.

Neal took a cursory glance at the motley crew assembled; there were six individuals varying in age from twenty something to sixty something and he smiled brightly as he was introduced to everyone individually. They all had specific areas of expertise except for the two recent hires who had been brought in at a more junior level to help with the cleaning and preparation of the actual art pieces. Neal's job was to help the pair with the more mundane, physical tasks and he settled in to work alongside them.

He noticed how Paul Stewart – aka Pernell Richardson – had pulled away from the group and was working on his own which was most definitely a red flag. The man looked anxious and suspicious and he glanced nervously at Neal after being introduced – no doubt the result of being in and out of penitentiaries all his life. Neal could certainly relate; trust was a fleeting thing and it took a long time to rebuild after one had been cast away by society, left to rot in the slammer with the key thrown away.

On the other hand, the woman, Marnie James, was his total antithesis. She was young and outgoing, open and welcoming and Neal could tell she was curious about his sudden appearance. She greeted him warmly and offered to show him the ropes, something Neal gladly accepted and from the get-go, he could sense she was fun loving and flirty. Neal's ability to flash his baby blues in order to gain someone's trust was still perfectly intact, yet for the first time, perhaps due to his commitment to Sara, he realized he was feeling a slight unease about flirting, a fleeting sensation he didn't have the time to analyze properly in that moment. He dialed down the intensity of his smile just shy of hypnotic and watched as she began to show him how to properly remove a painting from its crate.

Neal glanced from the older, wary man to the pretty young woman; appearances were deceiving, as he knew all too well, and he buckled down and got to work.

WCWCWC

Reese Hughes rose from the conference table, feeling the usual creek in his knees as he stretched out; he was getting too old for this, he reflected, as he slowly moved away from the table. The monthly meetings with his fellow SACs were becoming a pain in the ass – taking place in a different city each time. He was no longer enjoying the travelling or the perks he used to love when he was younger and all Reese could think about was getting back to New Jersey to his wife's home cooking and his warm, comfy bed. He'd been waiting more than twenty four hours for a return call from the Associate Deputy Director – the third highest ranking individual in the Bureau. He'd had to grovel and call in a few favors to get all the way up the line and he feared that the man, who was not known for being warm and fuzzy, might dismiss him out of hand.

Over the years, Reese had hated having to tow the party line although, working for the FBI, you learned early on what was expected of you – especially if you wanted to move up the ranks. Now that retirement was looming, he'd become less apprehensive about making waves within the Bureau; he had nothing to lose and he was willing to go to bat for his people when the situation required it. He'd managed to put his white collar team on the map in recent years, eliciting admiration from his cohorts across the country and truth be told, Reese Hughes knew all too well that Neal Caffrey's timely arrival on Peter's team had been the catalyst for their unprecedented success. It had taken a while for him to admit, but in the end, Reese had begun to realize that, despite his earlier misgivings, the team's newest arrival was yielding unprecedented results. The conman was willing to take risks and more often than not, those risks paid off. As a matter of fact, Caffrey was more of a danger to himself than to anyone else and Peter and Reese had worked hard to keep the man from getting himself killed on a few occasions.

He had to admit he admired the young man's resourcefulness; Neal never did anything half-way whether at work or in his personal life and while he was under his watch, he and Peter had the all-important job of keeping him safe at all costs – despite Neal's constant efforts to the contrary. But more than anything, Reese had been a witness to Neal's caring nature – the guy loved people and Reese had concluded, after much observation, that Caffrey basically wanted what everyone else wanted in life: to belong and to be a contributing member of society. He'd just never had any role models to lead him down that road – and Reese had deliberated on more than one occasion with himself whether or not it was just too late for someone like Neal Caffrey to change his life around. Peter had been much more optimistic in that regard and Reese and his underling had discussed the question ad nauseum over the years. Now, it was time to put his money where his mouth was and support Neal Caffrey who had delivered for him in spades.

The cell phone he reluctantly kept on him 24/7 vibrated in his jacket pocket and Reese reached in to pull it out, all the while looking for a quiet place to take the call. He took a few steps towards a nearby empty office and answered, holding his breath.

'Mr. Hughes, I have the Associate Deputy Director on the line' came a female voice

'Thank you' Reese said into his phone as he braced for what was coming

WCWCWC

'Have you worked here long?' Neal asked the pretty blonde as he worked alongside her, prying open a large wooden crate with a crowbar and peeking inside

'Just a few weeks' she responded with a lingering smile 'It's good money and who wouldn't love being surrounded by all this great stuff'

'You're right. There's some pretty amazing art around here. I really love those wood carvings over there' Neal said with a glint in his eye

'Are you a connaisseur?' she asked, her voice flirtatious

'I dabble - do some painting, _love_ the classics' Neal answered as he finished removing the bubble wrap from the shipping container

She leaned in to help him remove the painting from the crate, her hand softly yet purposefully brushing against his, and she signaled him to help her carry it over to a nearby work table. Her small frame belied her strength and Neal observed as she lifted the painting with ease, her smile never leaving her face.

Neal had decided he'd concentrate his investigation on the two new staff, at least to begin with. Although the other four members of the work team had been vetted thoroughly both by MoMA _and_ the Bureau, he wanted to keep his eyes open anyway – after all, it might prove difficult to resist the allure and pecuniary value of such treasures, even for the straightest arrow.

He had since found out that the Museum had taken Paul Stewart on as part of a work reinsertion program; he was getting on in years and he had been deemed a low risk for recidivism. Besides, art forgery had never been his MO and, certainly at first glance, he seemed to be sincere about finishing up his days on the outside, free from the shackles of the federal prison system. Neal's concern regarding Stewart was more in line with the many criminal contacts the man probably had – he suddenly had access to valuable art and he could easily be acting as the go-between in the very lucrative scam.

Marnie, on the other hand, was bubbly and forthcoming – she seemed a little _too_ earnest and Neal had his doubts that someone masterminding the bait and switch operation that seemed to be in place, would put herself out there that way – but then again in the past, _he'd_ never shied from being in the spotlight, even when he was carrying out the boldest of crimes.

'Lunch time' she said as she stared intently at Neal 'Care to join me?'

WCWCWC

'Sir, I really appreciate you taking the time to return my call' Hughes said into his phone

'I really don't know why this situation has come all the way up the ranks. I believe the Director of CCRS has already weighed in on this' the man said, his voice rather impatient

'He has, sir, but this issue is important to my team and I want to see it through' Hughes admitted

'You're telling me you're willing to make waves for a criminal informant, Hughes?' the man at the other end said, his voice filled with arrogance

'I am, sir. This is no ordinary CI. Have you had a chance to read the report I sent?' Reese asked, trying to keep his temper in check

'I have, Hughes. But I repeat what I believe you've been told at least twice before, this man is not an employee of the Bureau and therefore, his work will not be recognized at the awards dinner' the man stated

'Sir, if I may. Caffrey has put himself out there as much as any other agent on my team. On the Gless case, he...' Reese began before he was unceremoniously cut off

'I _am_ familiar with the Gless case' the man interrupted 'But this is a commendation dinner. What would the optics be if we started to honor criminals at our very own awards dinner? We'd be a laughing stock' the man responded curtly

'Mr. Assistant Deputy Director, all I can say is that I'm proud to have Caffrey on my team and he deserves to be recognized for his contribution to the success of the Bureau. With all due respect, sir, the Bureau was more than happy to rake in the accolades when he broke some of those high profile cases' Reese said, sticking his neck out

He hoped his long and illustrious career wouldn't become a casualty of his rant but at this point, he had nothing to lose; Neal deserved him going to bat for him and he wasn't about to let him – or Peter – down.

'Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree then, Special Agent Hughes. My decision is final' the man said, obviously ticked off.

Apparently, his gamble hadn't paid off and he'd pushed the man too far.

'We'll see you in New York later next week' the ADD said curtly just before hanging up

Reese stared at his phone for a moment before putting it back in his jacket pocket. He'd blown it and now he had to be the one to break the bad news to Peter Burke.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The phone on Sara Ellis' desk rang at 10:20 on Friday morning just as the insurance investigator was finishing up her second cup of decaf. The full octane stuff had been giving the mom-to-be some serious heartburn and she'd reluctantly given the low-grade variety a try only to find that, no matter what anybody said, it just _wasn't_ the same.

'Sara Ellis' she said distractedly into the phone

'Hi Sara, it's Elizabeth' came the barely recognizable voice on the other end

'Oh my god, El, what's the matter?' asked her concerned friend

'I'm not sure... but I feel like hell. I'm not going to be able to make our lunch date' El said, her voice barely a whisper

'That's okay. I hope you'll feel better tomorrow so we can go shopping' said Sara as she continued to absentmindedly peruse the list of incoming e-mails on her computer screen

'I'll let you know but...' Elizabeth let the words hang in the air

'Well, get some rest, okay? We'll talk later' said Sara, before hanging up

Elizabeth Burke sat in her kitchen staring down at the phone in her hand and feeling like a horrible person. She'd just pulled a fast one on her best friend in the hopes of sparing her feelings and those of her husband's CI. Regardless of her motives, she felt terrible for lying and she hoped Peter would soon get some definitive news from the higher ups in DC so they could all just get on with their lives.

'Oh, no you don't' El said as she looked down at Satchmo who was staring back at her as if he knew what she'd just done

'You don't get to judge me, okay? I'm doing this for Neal' she said, guilt ridden before realizing the dog wasn't due any explanations

'Oh!' she concluded, flustered 'never mind!'

WCWCWC

By lunchtime on Friday, Nick Halden found himself sitting in the staff cafeteria at MoMA, munching on an egg salad sandwich while chatting with the workmates he'd met just hours before. The group seemed friendly enough; some of the staff obviously had long standing work relationships while others, like Paul Stewart, we're off doing their own thing. Neal watched as the older man sat alone in a corner of the cafeteria nursing a cup of tea and a muffin and glancing uneasily at the group from time to time; not Mr. Social, that was for sure.

Marnie James, on the other hand, was in her element, holding court and telling risqué jokes to her co-workers while cozying up to Neal whom she'd somehow managed to wrangle her way next to. Her thigh was firmly pressed against his and despite Neal's attempts at creating a bit of space between them, she seemed to be taking every opportunity to touch his arm or glance his way as she spoke, her voice animated.

The way Neal saw it, he could fend off her advances or he could find a way of cozying up to her that didn't involve extra-curricular activities he was not prepared to indulge in. The little voice in his head came alive and whispered in his ear: there was always another way!

WCWCWC

By the time lunch break was wrapping up in the MoMA staff cafeteria, a group of five was sitting down to a short meeting in the Sterling Bosch conference room. In attendance were Sara Ellis and her boss, Winston Bosch as well as Roseanne Lebeau and her boss, Ronald Givens. Rounding out the group was Special Agent Peter Burke of the FBI. The group had just finished a viewing of Rivera's 'Child with Necklace' and sat down to discuss the next steps in getting the painting back to its rightful home at the museum.

'We're very thankful to you for the recovery' the Director said as he turned to face Sara

He was a man of approximately sixty years old, who'd moved up the ranks at MoMA and who, to his dismay, had been around for much too long and had seen way too many thefts take place right under his nose during his tenure.

'Well, to be honest' Sara said, self-effacingly 'I wasn't quite sure what I'd recovered until Mr. Caffrey pointed it out'

The man grimaced at the sound of Neal's name. He remembered him being a person of interest in a theft at the museum twelve years before. Although nothing had ever been proven, Neal's name had continued to circulate and it had taken some doing for his underling to convince the blustery man that the FBI's plan to parachute the ex-con into their prep room with all that rare art was a wise idea and would lead to unmasking their current thief.

'Will it be a problem to keep the painting here under wraps until the case is resolved?' Roseanne Lebeau asked, anxious to change the subject

Winston Bosch spoke up, his voice authoritative 'Not at all, it's our pleasure to cooperate with the museum - and with the FBI - until this case is wrapped up' he said

'Well, we hope to have this little mystery solved in plenty of time for the exhibit's opening' Peter added 'I'm confident we can make some inroads in getting the culprit to tip his hand'

Ronald Givens made a rather impatient noise, one Roseanne Lebeau recognized all too well from years of working with him and she rose to bring the meeting to an end.

'You can count on our cooperation' she said to Peter as she stood and shook his hand

The museum contingent took their leave with Mr. Bosh following close behind, leaving Sara and Peter to bring up the rear.

'I'm guessing the museum's director isn't crazy about Neal working undercover on the case' Sara said as they walked out of the conference room

'Well, he'll be _plenty_ happy when Neal cracks the case wide open' Peter responded as he made his way to the elevator

Although not always thrilled with Neal's unorthodox methods, Peter's faith in his partner never wavered; if anyone could get to the bottom of those thefts, it was Neal Caffrey.

'Oh, and tell El I hope she feels better soon' Sara said just as they prepared to part ways

Peter frowned momentarily and tried to recover quickly. He had no idea what Sara was referring to, yet he was suddenly mindful not to say anything that would contradict something El might have told her best friend.

'I will... ' he said, non-committally

'Hopefully, she'll feel better for our shopping spree tomorrow' she added, laughing

Peter gave her an embarrassed smile; obviously El had decided that avoidance was the best tactic in this situation. He hated not coming clean with Neal - especially since it was clear Neal now knew all about the dinner. He figured Elizabeth was just buying some time until they knew for sure what the score was. The sooner he found out what the verdict was from DC, the sooner he could put them all out of their misery.

WCWCWC

The afternoon turned out to be more of the same back in the preparation room at the museum. Neal was still getting to know the players and his suspicions continued to fluctuate between the two more likely suspects: Paul Stewart and Marnie James. Getting to know the ex-convict was proving to be tough and he fleetingly remembered the wise decision they'd made to have both suspects followed. That would definitely give them an idea as to what Paul Stewart did when he left work at the end of the day and who he socialized with.

As far as Marnie James, she continued to smooth talk Neal, offering to help him get better acquainted with the goings on. As lunch had wrapped up, she's practically cornered him in the back of the cafeteria, putting the moves on him. He'd recovered with his usual poise intact but he was quickly realizing that he'd have to find a way to put some physical distance between himself and the pretty blond if he was going to do an effective job. Whether she was simply trying to distract him or was just another victim of his irresistible appeal, he hadn't quite figured out yet and frankly, he wasn't quite sure which of the two options he preferred. By the end of the afternoon, Neal didn't want to have to turn down any unwelcome overtures on her part so he made up some excuse, making a hasty retreat and claiming to have previous plans.

Of course, he _did_ have plans. He was going home to his wonderful girlfriend, the mother of his unborn child and he was looking forward to spending some quality time with Sara on the weekend before having to return to the museum on the following Monday. But before he could head home, he wanted to make a quick detour to the Federal Building. Peter had texted him to let him know that they had brought in Sam the Sham for questioning and Neal was most anxious to hear what the man had to say for himself.

WCWCWC

Sam the Sham sat in the interrogation room of the White Collar offices looking like a rat caught in a trap. He looked around furtively, waiting to be questioned while Diana, Jones and Neal stood outside the room watching him squirm.

'He looks awfully nervous' Diana said as they continued observing him

'It's not every day you get shaken down by the FBI; poor guy's probably wondering who ratted him out' Neal responded

'And _you_ wouldn't have any idea who that might be?' Jones asked as he looked sideways at Neal

Neal gave him a non-commital shoulder shrug and returned his attention to what was going on behind the glass. Peter had just walked in and was about to put the fear of God into the poor hapless fence. Peter Burke in an interrogation room with a nervous perp – as a spectator sport, it didn't get much better than this.

'Look, I'll be straight with you' Peter said as he settled in across from the man 'I'm only interested in how you got your hands on _one_ of those paintings you tried to fence the other night – the Rivera'

Sam looked at him with a question mark in his eyes; he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed and he was most certainly not an art connoisseur. He fenced anything he could get his hands on, going where the money trail took him and all he cared about was how much his potential clients – of which he had many – were interested in paying for a given item.

'The one with the kid with the necklace' Peter explained, bringing it down to his level

Sam's eyes lit up in understanding as he realized which painting the Fed was talking about.

'I got it from a guy I heard about from… another guy…on the street' he said vaguely, trying not burn any of his sources

'And where did you _get_ the painting?' Peter asked

'I was told to show up at the Marvel Gallery and ask for Scott. My source had told me the street value for the piece so I gave this Scott guy his cut and walked out with the painting' said Sam.

The faster he told this guy what he wanted to know, the faster he could get the hell out of this place; he was getting hives just sitting there.

'And how much was his cut?' Peter asked

'Twenty thousand' Sam answered without batting an eyelash

In the fence business, he counted on his contacts, who were much more knowledgeable, to give him an approximate street value of the items he was fencing – most times, he came up on top although he had gotten burned a few times. Such was the life of a fence.

'I guess there's no point in telling you to stay out of trouble' Peter said as he looked the man up and down, deciding he was wasting his time 'Alright, scram' he said

Sam didn't wait a second longer and he made his way out of the room and back to the streets to fence another day.

Peter looked up towards the one way mirror with a satisfied grin.

'And that, boys and girls' he said smugly 'is how it's done'

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

'So, what's wrong with Elizabeth? Is it the flu?' Neal asked as he and Sara sat having dinner that night

El cancelling out on Sara at the last minute seemed like just another fluke in a long string of unlikely coincidences since she'd mentioned the commendation dinner to Sara. Ever since Neal had first heard about it, it felt like everything surrounding the upcoming event was shrouded in mystery. When he'd arrived at the office earlier, he'd walked in on Jones and Diana having an animated chat about something or other, noticing them both shutting down as soon as he'd stepped into the room. Add to that the fact that Peter had been totally avoiding the subject and now this thing with Elizabeth; Neal wasn't usually a suspicious guy but he _did_ know basic math and right now two plus two was adding up to a big fat four!

'I'm not sure, but she sounded awful' Sara answered as she continued playing with the food on her plate

Her appetite had been fluctuating between ravenous and 'bird-like' over the past couple of weeks as she'd struggled with the tail end of her morning sickness and Neal had made it his personal mission to make sure she ate enough every day – especially protein which, he'd read, was essential to the baby's healthy development.

He frowned at her as she continued fussing with her food and she gave him a 'mind your own business, Caffrey' glare in return.

'Sara, please eat!' Neal pleaded before returning to the topic at hand 'Did you guys reschedule?'

'Neal, what's going on with you? Since when are you so invested in my shopping plans?' Sara asked as she took one reluctant last bite and stood to put her dirty plate in the sink

Neal followed suit, standing beside her with a look of confusion on his face.

'It's just that ever since she first mentioned the commendation dinner, it's become this big, dark secret nobody wants to talk about' Neal said

'What? You think El's _avoiding_ me and that it has something to do with the dinner?' Sara asked, incredulous

'I don't know what to think' Neal said, feeling rather silly now for bringing it up

'Look, why don't you just talk to Peter about it' Sara said as she proceeded to rinse the plates

'I will but... I just haven't had the chance to be alone with him' he admitted

'Neal, I'm sure there's a logical explanation for all this' Sara said as she turned to face him. She placed a loving hand on his chest 'Now come on, stop letting your imagination run away with you'

Neal shrugged as he pulled her in for a hug. Frankly, for a man his age, he'd been spending way too much time wondering if he was being shunned and whether or not he was welcome at the party. Why hadn't Peter just told him what was going on instead of skirting around the issue for the past week? Sara was right, if this was really bothering him, he needed to grow a pair and get to the bottom of it.

He pulled Sara in nice and tight against his body feeling the baby between them; he supposed there were worse things in life than being excluded from a celebration with the team he'd been working with for the past three years – although, at the moment, he couldn't think of a single one.

WCWCWC

The weekend was unusually quiet with the Burkes avoiding Neal and Sara and Neal and Sara pretending they didn't notice that the Burkes were avoiding them. It was a rare weekend when they didn't get together socially, especially now that Sara was pregnant. Elizabeth was excited about the eventual arrival of their godchild and she enjoyed doting on her friend, usually meeting up with her for lunch or inviting the couple over for dinner. But she'd called to let Sara know she wasn't feeling much better and Neal's suspicions continued to escalate. He toyed with the idea of popping in on his handler but thought better of it; he didn't want to appear paranoid and he wanted to give Peter a chance to bring up the subject on his own time.

On Saturday night, the couple went out to dinner and Sara ate an eight ounce filet mignon to Neal's surprise and delight – no doubt making reserves for the upcoming week. She was exhausted when they got home and she lay down, ostensibly to rest for a few minutes but by ten o'clock, it was obvious she wasn't going to be getting up until the next morning so Neal made his way over to the bed and gently got her out of her clothes with barely a rise out of his girlfriend who basically slept through the entire exercise. He sat her up as she mumbled incoherently and pulled an old t-shirt of his over her head and returned her to the bed, kissing her baby bump and tucking her in for the night.

The silence in the apartment was deafening so Neal put on some soft music and took out his sketch pad from the back room; for the past few weeks he'd been working on a concept for a mural in the baby's room. June had insisted on bringing down the wall separating the back of the apartment with the bedroom on the other side. She wasn't sure what the couple's long term plans were but she wanted the baby to have his own room; she was not so secretly hoping that they would stay in the apartment after the baby was born.

The couple hadn't talked much about where they'd be living – together or separately – after the baby's arrival but Neal was hoping Sara would stay on. He glanced longingly at her sleeping form. They'd never discussed it formally but he'd taken for granted that all three of them would continue to live together at June's when the baby arrived. Although Sara's move to Riverside Drive had been temporary at first and had been dictated by her need to recover from the injuries she'd suffered from her nasty encounter with Jonathan Martin's goons, she still had her apartment and she was showing no signs of giving it up. She visited regularly, checking on things, picking up her mail and she'd even slept there on a couple of occasions when Neal had gone undercover.

As far as Neal was concerned, however, he liked things fine the way they were and he assumed they would be living together as a family. He smiled at the thought; a family... something he'd never had growing up. Life had somehow conspired to give him exactly what he'd wanted since he was a little boy – a family of his own to belong to.

WCWCWC

Monday turned out much like Friday for Nick Halden as he toiled away at the museum, gathering information and spying on his co-workers. By late afternoon, Neal sat in the conference room in the White Collar offices of the Federal Building with Peter, Jones and Diana, sharing the intel they'd managed to get on the two suspects and revealing what he'd managed to uncover during his long, gruelling day in the dungeon of the MoMA.

'Paul Stewart looks like he's walking a straight line' Jones said as he glanced over his notes 'We've been following him since the middle of last week and he only leaves the house he shares with his sister to go to work and run errands. On the weekend, he was spotted mowing the lawn and taking his sister grocery shopping at the local mall. Other than that, he hasn't met with anyone'

Neal nodded; the more time passed, the more he was inclined to eliminate the ex-convict as a suspect. Paul Stewart looked like a tired old man who'd finally given up the life in favor of living out his last days peacefully, without making waves. Neal could relate to that; living the life meant you always slept with one eye open, wondering when you'd be found out and the choice between finishing out one's last fleeting days in jail or free to roam, especially for a person getting on in age, was a no-brainer.

'Marnie James, on the other hand, slipped our surveillance twice over the weekend' Jones continued. 'She's got one busy social life, that's for sure. She went out dancing on Saturday night at a club in Manhattan, she met with friends for brunch on Sunday and she visited a couple of galleries in the afternoon including – get this – the Marvel Gallery'

The foursome exchanged knowing looks at the mention of the name of the gallery that had been the site of the exchange between Sam the fence and his contact, the mysterious Scott.

'Could be coincidence' Peter said, always anxious to have solid evidence 'Diana, check the place out but don't flash your badge. See if you can get eyes on this 'Scott' fellow' he instructed

'I'll pay them a visit tomorrow' she answered, dutifully

'Well, Marnie took me aside today and told me that she'd heard about my _special_ talents' Neal said with a gleam in his eye – although it was unclear whether Neal was referring to his forgery skills or his legendary reputation as a ladies' man

'She asked if I was interested in a job on the side although she wouldn't specify what that might be' Neal clarified 'She insisted I go over to her place tomorrow night for drinks so we could discuss things'

Jones gave Neal an eye roll – the curse of Caffrey and his animal magnetism.

'Sounds like she knows about Nick Halden's checkered past. Do you think she's wants to bring you in on the scam?' Diana said

Neal shrugged. 'I don't know... but I need to find out'

'So, are you going to go over to her place?' Peter asked as he looked across the table at Neal

'I told her that I'd love to come over for drinks – _if_ I could bring along my protective boyfriend -' Neal answered

'You did what?' Peter interrupted, his voice loud

'I told her I had a boyfriend' Neal repeated calmly

'What did you do that for? I've never known you to shy away from a little harmless flirting?' Peter said

'That's just it, Peter. It _wasn't_ harmless. Her intentions were clear; she might want to discuss business but that's not all she wants, she obviously wants _me_ ' Neal added without a shred of humility '...and I needed to find a way to stay close to her without having to slip between the sheets to do it. Telling her I was gay was the first thing that popped into my head'

'And now, you need to find yourself a boyfriend before tomorrow night' Peter stated

Neal gave the room a small shrug / raised eyebrow combination that left little to the imagination before turning back to look at Peter.

'Oh no, you don't' Peter said, his voice shrill 'You're not dragging me into your little… charade'

Diana and Jones looked on amused, knowing better than to say a single word lest they be dragged into the deception.

'Peter, it's one night' Neal answered, his voice low 'We can check out her place, see if there's anything lying around that could incriminate her'

'Forget it Neal. I'm not posing as your boyfriend' Peter argued as Diana and Jones continued to observe the heated discussion

'Peter! What are you talking about? You've been undercover lots of times, this is no different' Neal said, amused 'Where's your self-confidence, anyway? You know what they say: men who are secure in their sexuality don't feel threatened by others' sexual orientations'

'They do _not_ say that' Peter said as Diana nodded, disagreeing with her boss

Neal repeated the all knowing eyebrow raise, looking to his two colleagues for support and waited for Peter to finally agree to his crazy scheme.

'Dammit Neal!' Peter sighed, exasperated 'How do you always get yourself into these situations?'

'Just lucky, I guess' Neal responded, not about to be made to feel badly about his plan

'Look, it's short term… pain… for long term gain. This could break the case wide open' Neal said as he finally stood to leave

'And besides, it wouldn't hurt you to get more in touch with your feminine side' he added as he reached the door and turned to face the trio

Getting Peter going was like taking candy from a baby.

'Oh, and don't forget to pick me up at seven, lover' Neal added as he blew his handler a kiss

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

There were times working within the White Collar unit when Clinton Jones and Diana Berrigan knew better than to ask too many questions - and _this_ was definitely one of those times. They sat at their respective desks pretending to work, exchanging furtive glances with each other and trying to ignore the loud voices coming from Reese Hughes' office as the man tangled with their boss. They could hear Neal's name being bandied about – not an unusual occurence considering most of the arguments Peter Burke'd had with his boss over the past few years had something to do with his criminal informant.

Reese could see the curious faces staring up towards his office as he sat arguing with his underling and he cursed the damn glass walls as he'd done dozens of times over the years. Whoever designed those ridiculous see-through offices had no regard for the need for confidentiality. He stood momentarily, moving towards the door to pull down the blinds he'd had installed to allow for a minimum of privacy – no matter what he did however, he had no doubt that Peter's voice could be heard bellowing all the way down to the 20th floor beneath them.

'Peter!' he admonished 'Please! Keep your voice down!'

Reese glared at the handful of employees whose eyes were turned their way and pulled the cord roughly, practically bringing the blinds crashing down before returning to his seat behind the desk.

'I went all the way up the line to the Associate Deputy Director and he was _not_ amused that I hadn't let up' he explained

'But Reese, this is totally ridiculous. These bigwigs are the same people who sent those letters of congratulations to Neal when we solved the Gless case' Peter repeated for the second time

'I know that, Peter, and I sent along that report just to remind them of the lengths Caffrey had gone to to get that girl back' Reese explained. 'But they're adamant that honoring the work of a criminal at a commendation dinner is not going to happen. They're more concerned about the optics than about doing the right thing'

Peter paced – the few steps he _could_ pace in front of Hughes' desk – and ran his hand through his hair. He'd dared to believe that, with Reese finally on board, the higher ups would finally see things their way. Obviously, he'd overestimated his boss' influence with the crowd in DC.

'How am I supposed to stand up there and accept an award on behalf of the team when the main player on the team is sidelined...' Peter said

'Peter, you _have_ to do this for the rest of the team – this is a big honor for the New York office' Reese began

Peter shook his head; although he'd said it in jest, he was realizing that he had _some_ , albeit minimal, control over the situation. He _could_ make them all look bad by refusing to attend the dinner... let _them_ deal with the fallout from his snub. Of course, such a move would eventually come back to haunt him in the years to come when it came to promotions or special assignments but at the moment, he couldn't care less.

'I know you're angry, Peter' the older man continued 'But, you have to believe me, I gave it my best shot...'

Peter let out a loud sigh and turned to leave, trying to keep his temper in check. He managed to do not too badly until he stepped into his own office, slamming the door as he disappeared from sight.

Diana looked over at Jones and frowned; it was a crapshoot as to whether they should leave him alone or not when he was this angry. Without giving it much thought, she got to her feet and before she knew what she was doing, she was gently knocking on the door to her boss' office.

'WHAT?' she heard from behind the door before she opened it a crack to see if it was safe to enter

'Boss?' she said unsure of the welcome she about to get

'Diana' Peter said, his voice returning to normal 'Sorry, come in'

She took a tentative step and Peter laughed sardonically 'It's okay' he said 'I promise not to bite'

'I don't want to butt in but, we couldn't help overhearing some of that' she said

'Reese tried all the way up the line but it's official, Neal is not welcome to attend the commendation dinner with the rest of us' Peter said, resigned to the situation

'I'm sorry Peter. I know it meant a lot to you to have Caffrey there' she said '...and for what it's worth, most of us were on board with that'

Peter nodded in thanks. He knew there would always be the skeptics where Neal was concerned but he'd seen how his CI had managed to worm his way into almost everyone's heart over time. He let out a long slow breath as he thought of the next step: coming clean to his partner.

'Now, I have to tell Neal the news. He's known about the dinner for a few days but he hasn't said anything. I'm sure he's probably figured it out by now...' Peter said, his voice trailing

'Do you want some help with that?' Diana asked sincerely

'Thanks Diana. This is something I need to do by myself' he said

WCWCWC

'Oh honey, I'm so sorry' El said as she and Peter sat at the dining room table, grabbing a quick bite before he returned to their undercover operation

Peter looked down at the sandwich his wife had placed in front of him, pushing it away. He just couldn't get it down as he thought of the night ahead. First, he had to play footsies with Neal on their undercover assignment, then he had to break the man's heart by giving him the verdict on the dinner. He was thinking a root canal sounded less painful and a lot more fun right about now.

'Well, I can't change their minds but I _could_ refuse to go to the dinner...' Peter said

The idea had been forming more clearly as he'd driven home and he knew that his absence at the dinner would make a clear statement to those in attendance and make the big wigs from DC look bad.

'That would have consequences for your future' El warned

'I know... but at least I'd be standing up for what's right' Peter said

'Isn't part of what's right to be there for Diana and Jones and the rest of the team too?' El asked wisely

She was right - it was a no win situation. Snubbing the event wouldn't change anything for Neal – he still wouldn't be able to attend – but at least Neal would know Peter was willing to stand beside him on a question of principle.

Elizabeth got up and moved to stand behind Peter, bringing her arms around his neck. She whispered in his ear.

'Whatever you decide, I'm behind you, honey. I know you'll do the right thing'

WCWCWC

'That was Elizabeth. She's going to come over and visit while you boys go out on your hot date' Sara said as she hung up the phone

She moved towards the bed where Neal had laid out his date night clothes, some dress pants and a shirt she'd never seen him wear before.

'That looks pretty artsy' she said as she ran her hand over the shirt

Neal gave her a knowing look and a shrug.

'So, are you finally going to ask Peter about the commendation dinner tonight?' she asked

'I figured I'd bring it up on the way home – you know, just before the goodnight kiss' he said as he gave her a naughty smile

Sara giggled. She loved how Neal always thought outside the box when it came to cases – and she'd appreciated the fact that he'd found a way to get close to the alleged perpetrator without having to give in to her unwanted advances.

'Well, I'd rather know you're out on a date with Peter than worry that she's plotting ways of luring you into her bed' Sara said as she faced Neal and laced her arms around his neck

'Well, you have nothing to worry about - on either score' Neal said as his hands moved around her waist, finally settling on her hips.

He pulled her in, feeling the glorious fullness of her belly against him.

'Mmmm' he murmured as he brought his lips to her neck

'Neal, Peter's going to be here in twenty minutes' she warned although his warm, soft mouth on her neck was doing predictable things to her insides

'I can be quick' Neal whispered, his lips never leaving that hypersensitive spot right behind her ear

She moaned, trying to keep a cool head yet unable to resist the feeling of his lips against her neck 'Alright then, be quick' she sighed as she lifted her leg up around his hips and pulled him in tighter

WCWCWC

'Are you going to tell Sara the truth?' Peter asked as they began the long climb to Neal's apartment

'Of course!' El responded adamantly 'I hated lying to her in the first place and I owe her an apology'

Peter looked at her sideways thinking of his own need to come clean. He and Neal had come such a long way and although there was still the odd deception on Neal's part, when it came to the important stuff, his CI could be counted on to be honest – which was more than he could say about himself lately. They arrived on the third floor and knocked, waiting to be let in. They waited an inordinate amount of time it seemed before Sara finally appeared, looking somewhat flustered, her hair tousled.

'Sorry guys' she said 'We were... Neal was...' she began as Elizabeth gave her friend a knowing look

'Come on in' Neal called from behind her as he came to her rescue 'I'll be just a minute'

The Burkes stepped in, noting the bed was unmade – something that just didn't happen in Neal Caffrey's apartment. Neal was a total neat freak and made his bed every morning without fail – but somehow the sheets were mussed and Neal was standing there, buttoning his shirt with a satisfied smirk on his face – it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they'd just walked in on.

'Hey sweetie' Neal said as he approached Peter and gave him a peck on the cheek before Peter even had a chance to react

'NEAL!' Peter yelled, flustered 'Why do you always have to... push the envelope'

'And why do you always have to feel so threatened' Neal responded as he pulled away, chuckling

The women were enjoying the little scene and stepped back; they didn't want to touch this with a ten foot pole. Although Peter could never be defined as a homophobe, he was nonetheless uncomfortable with discussing issues related to sexuality and he tended to hold very traditional views on such things, to El's utter consternation. Neal, on the other hand, felt perfectly comfortable with the wide array of individual choices people made and he loved to challenge Peter on his white bread view of the world. But most of all, he just enjoyed teasing his partner every chance he got.

'You want to help me with my shirt' he cooed as Peter rolled his eyes at him

'Come on boys, play nice' said El with a smirk

'Yeah, kiss and make up' Sara added with a giggle

'How do I get myself into these impossible situations?' Peter griped

WCWCWC

Peter and Neal stood in the lobby of Marnie James' apartment building, prepared to call up to be let in when Peter put his hand on Neal's arm to stop him.

'So, should I act...' he stopped unsure how to say things without sounding politically incorrect

'...effeminate?' Neal asked, somewhat exasperated

Peter shrugged. He didn't know much about being gay. Diana Berrigan was the first woman he'd really gotten to know who was gay and in high school, he'd know a few boys but that was the extent of his experience.

'Peter, gay couples are just like any other couple. It's just two men, that's all. Do you feel the need to act all macho when you're out somewhere with El?' he asked, anxious to make his point

'Nnno' Peter stuttered

'Well then, just be yourself. Gay men come in all shapes and sizes' he said, stifling a giggle at his unwise choice of words 'Not every gay man is effeminate. What about Michael Sam? Or Jason Kinney from OPR?'

'Jason Kinney is gay?' Peter blurted out a little louder than he'd meant to

'Duh. Peter, get over it. Gay people are everywhere; I swear sometimes you act like some backwoods redneck. This is the twenty first century; get a grip' Neal said as he finally pressed the button to call up

'Hello?' came the female voice

'Hi Marnie, it's Nick... and Peter' Neal said

'Come on up' she responded as they heard the door unlock

Unexpectedly, Neal grabbed Peter's hand and pulled him through the door as Peter swallowed hard. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

'Come on, babe' Neal said as they strolled to the elevator hand in hand

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

'I can't believe Neal made this. It's delicious!' El said as she finished up the last crumbs of the chocolate cheesecake that, up to a few seconds ago, had been on her plate

'Well, right now he's going all out to tempt me with all the foods I love just to get me to eat' Sara said as she pushed away her plate with half her piece of cake still intact

'Are you still feeling sick?' El asked, concerned

'Well, I haven't had morning sickness in four days, so fingers crossed' answered Sara 'but my appetite really fluctuates a lot so I kind of have to go with the flow'

Elizabeth Burke looked over at Sara Ellis, a woman she'd always admired for her strength and courage and who had recently crossed that line from mere acquaintance to good friend. She realized she'd put off the inevitable discussion long enough. She'd wanted to come clean to Sara the second she's stepped into the apartment but she was embarrassed about what she'd done and they had somehow managed to spend an hour chatting about everything _but_ the elephant in the room, although said elephant was only visible to her eyes.

'Sara, you know when I cancelled lunch last week' Elizabeth began as Sara nodded, unaware of the confession that was coming

'Well, I wasn't being totally honest with you' she said, anxious to get things out in the open before her courage evaporated 'The truth is, I wasn't sick'

'Okay' Sara said as she waited for the rest of the explanation

'Remember when I told you about the commendation dinner?' El continued

'Yeah, next weekend, right?' Sara answered

'Well, I shouldn't have told you' El began 'at least not until Peter gave me the green light. You see, there's been some dispute as to whether or not Neal would be allowed to attend with the rest of the team'

Sara's eyes clouded over as she thought back to Neal's concerns; maybe his suspicions hadn't been so over the top after all.

'Peter wanted to wait until he got a definitive answer from DC before talking to Neal about it and I kind of... spilled the beans prematurely' El continued as things started to come into focus for Sara

'So I panicked and I thought the best I could do was... avoid you until we knew for sure' El finally confessed

'And?' Sara asked, afraid of the answer

Elizabeth shook her head. 'Peter and Reese Hughes went all the way up the line but the brass in DC won't budge'

'Oh, my God. Poor Neal!' Sara said imagining how her boyfriend would feel when he heard

'But that's not fair' she continued 'Peter's always saying how their closure rate has almost doubled since Neal joined the team'

'I agree' El said 'and Peter is devastated'

Sara just stared ahead past Elizabeth as she began to imagine the impact that decision would have on Neal. He still struggled with feelings of self-worth, hiding behind that mask of his to keep from showing any pain or hurt. Being told he wasn't worthy of recognition along with his colleagues would just feed into those feelings of insecurity, that fear that he could never be anything but a criminal, doomed to repeat his past illicit behaviors.

Since she'd gotten pregnant, she'd begun to see changes in Neal; he'd started to make some headway in his struggle to do the right thing, motivated by the desire to be the kind of man their child would be proud of someday. They'd spent many nights talking about Neal's fears that he might be undeserving of a 'normal' life, of becoming a dad and Sara could tell Neal was gaining confidence when she looked into his excited eyes as they talked about their future.

'Sara, I'm _so_ sorry. And I'm sorry I lied to you; there's no excuse for that' El admitted

Sara snapped back to reality, meeting El's gaze and seeing the sadness there. She nodded in response to her friend's apology.

'Neal has such a good heart and he's still paying for the mistakes he made a long time ago. Sometimes, he feels like he'll never be able to leave the past behind him' Sara admitted to her friend

Elizabeth listened, filled with shame and sadness. The only difference between someone like Neal Caffrey and the three of them was the fact that Neal hadn't had a strong role model growing up; without a positive model, he'd ventured down a rudderless path which had led him to his current predicament. He was paying a bitter price for his poor choices, swimming counter stream and just trying to keep his head above water. Finding a way to survive for a charming, intelligent man like Neal had been easy as long as he kept that mask firmly on his face. But he'd been working hard to show his true colors to Sara and now, events were conspiring to prove to him that once that mask was removed, he wasn't worthy of the same things as everyone else around him.

Elizabeth reached out to touch Sara's hand but the gesture did little to placate Sara who found herself thinking ahead to what words of wisdom she could possibly find to comfort Neal when he eventually made his way home.

WCWCWC

'You have a lot of talent' Neal said as he took in some of the many works of art on Marnie's walls

'Well, like I said, I like to dabble' she responded as she sat across the couch from the two men

Neal sat with his arm draped over the back of the couch, his hand lying limply on Peter's shoulder as the older man sipped his beer. They had agreed that, at some point, Peter would leave the room ostensibly to use the facilities, leaving Neal to see what Marnie's proposal entailed.

There was a knock at the door and Marnie stood to answer.

'Oh, that'll be my brother. I invited him over so we could talk about that... project I mentioned' she said as she momentarily left the room to answer the door

Peter and Neal exchanged looks as they waited, Neal giving his partner a head nod towards the washroom. This would be a good time for Neal to be left alone with the woman; he was wearing his trusty one way communication device on his wrist and Jones was nearby in the van recording the proceedings, much to Peter's chagrin.

Neal had been playing up their relationship since they'd arrived, mostly just to annoy Peter. He'd mentioned Peter's boring job as an accountant, the trip they'd taken to Maine last summer and Peter's propensity for sleeping late on weekends when Neal wanted to go antiquing. Two could play that game, Peter thought and after a while, he'd begun to get into it, commenting on Neal's snoring (which he admitted he found annoying yet endearing) and the way Neal left his socks on their bedroom floor (which he found annoying and not the least bit endearing).

If Caffrey was going to have some fun at his expense, so could he.

'Boys, this is my brother, Scott' said Marnie when she returned with a young man on her arm 'He works over at the Marvel Gallery'

Peter and Neal managed to keep straight faces at the mention of the gallery's name, imagining the look on Jones' face as he sat listening in the van a block away. The connection was now obvious; all they needed to do now was wait for Marnie to plot and carry out her next switch, something which seemed destined to happen. The couple got up to shake hands with the newcomer and Peter remained standing as everyone took a seat.

'Can I use your washroom?' he asked as Marnie directed him down the hall

'I'll be back in a minute, babe' he said to Neal as he squeezed his CI's hand

He was having fun giving Neal a taste of his own medicine although he knew he would never hear the end of it back at the office when they finally went through and listened to the tapes.

'Hurry back' Neal said, squeezing back – a little too hard

The moment Peter left the room, Marnie leaned in towards Neal. She only had a few minutes to make her pitch and she didn't want to waste a second.

'Look, Nick' she said, her voice low 'We've heard about your exploits and your special talents. Are you interested in making a little cash on the side?'

'I'm all ears' Neal said with a look of mischief

'Well, Scott and I have a little project going that I think you'll find interesting – and lucrative' the young woman said as Neal smiled his luminous Caffrey smile

WCWCWC

It was well past ten o'clock, their business concluded when Neal and Peter finally stood to leave. They'd gotten more than they'd hoped for; Marnie had admitted to Neal (Nick) that she and her brother had already switched out four paintings from the prep room at the museum with forgeries, two of which she'd painted herself. The painting they were targeting next was more intricate and when she'd first met Nick, she'd googled him only to find that he'd been arrested for forging paintings, excellent forgeries and she'd hatched the plan to approach him to collaborate on the caper for a very tidy sum.

'Marnie, thanks for having us over' Neal said as he smiled at his co-worker 'But my big bear here, he gets really grumpy if he doesn't get a full seven hours of sleep...' he added, lacing his arm in Peter's

'Oh, honey, stop it! You're embarrassing me' Peter said with a shy smile 'I'm sure Marnie doesn't want to hear about that - or about your annoying habit of trimming your toenails at the kitchen table'

Neal glared at Peter and Marnie gave them both a look of disdain. If she'd been sweet on Neal up to this point, that vivid image had been more than enough to put a damper on any romantic notions she might have had to begin with.

She walked them out, telling Nick she'd see him in the morning and she watched as the couple made their way down the hall, bickering.

WCWCWC

'Toenails? Really, Peter?' Neal said as they walked one block over to where the van sat waiting for them

'You started it' Peter responded as they stepped in

'Well, hello you two lovebirds' Jones called out to them as they came into view

Peter rolled his eyes at him. 'If you ever repeat any of this...' he began before Jones interrupted

'I don't have to repeat it Peter, it's all been recorded for posterity' he reminded his boss with a sly smile

'We have an admission of guilt' Neal said, filling in Peter as to what had transpired when he'd left the room 'but the case will be a lot more solid if we catch her making a swap'

Peter nodded in agreement; he liked his cases airtight.

'Did you find anything in the bedroom?' he asked

Peter shook his head. 'There were more copies lying around but I don't know if any of them match the paintings at the museum'

'She wants to swap this one out by Friday' Neal said as he showed the two agents the piece of paper with the title of the painting he had just been hired to forge

'Do you have time to get it done by then?' Peter asked

'Do I have a choice?' Neal responded with an eyebrow raise

'So where are you two boys off to now? Drinks? Clubbing?' Jones asked, teasing them mercilessly

'Home' Peter said without hesitation 'to the women we love'

And with that, the two men exited the van and walked the few steps to Peter's car, climbing in. Unbeknownst to Neal, Peter had one last topic of discussion he needed to tackle before they made their way back to Riverside Drive. Peter started the car and prayed he'd be inspired to find the right words to say; words that wouldn't totally devastate his CI.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

'Maybe I can talk to Lebeau about getting you the afternoon off tomorrow so you can get started on that forgery' Peter said as the two men sat side by side in companionable silence

Besides the office, Neal and Peter probably spent more time in the car than anywhere else. They were joined at the hip and travelled together to crime scenes and meetings to say nothing of those long, endless stakeouts – hours on end of sitting side by side invading each others' personal space. Although they were both happy to make small talk most of the time, they could do comfortable silence just as well.

'That would help' Neal said as he looked out at the reflection on the wet pavement up ahead 'I guess even a guy like Nick Halden has the odd dentist appointment'

Peter chuckled softly. It was early November and before long the rain would become snow, followed by the bitter winter cold. Neal had been debating whether or not to bring up the issue of the commendation dinner all night; he was hoping Peter would say something first but the longer his partner avoided the subject, the more apprehensive Neal was getting.

Peter kept a running dialogue in his head as the wipers continued their hypnotic thump; he wanted to wait until he pulled up in front of June's place before he tackled the sensitive subject. Mentioning the higher ups' decision in passing while he was driving, seemed to show a lack of respect for Neal's feelings. Although he suspected Neal would make light of it, Peter knew better. For Neal, this would be just another nail in the coffin: just one more example of how he could never fit into life on the right side of the law – or at least Peter feared that's how he would perceive the snub.

Peter wanted to be able to see his face when he told him about the commendation dinner. He'd been working with his CI for close to three years now and he knew that, despite his uncanny ability to camouflage his true feelings, Neal still had those tells Peter had learned to recognize over time.

So instead, they spoke about Sara's pregnancy, the case, the last event El had catered, all the while enjoying each other's company in the cramped quarters. It was almost eleven o'clock by the time the Taurus finally pulled up in front of 87 Riverside Drive. Neal looked up to the third floor to see if the lights were still on, noting that they were; Elizabeth had texted Peter over an hour before to let him know she was going to cab it home. Sara was tired and frankly, so was she.

Neal placed his hand on the door handle and hesitated for a moment – he had promised Sara he'd raise the issue of the dinner with Peter and he opened his mouth to speak.

'Neal, hold on a sec' Peter said as he turned off the car 'I want to talk to you about something'

Neal turned to face Peter, the light from the nearby streetlamp flooding the car in an insipid yellow glow. He noticed how Peter looked uncomfortable all of a sudden – not the usual state of affairs for the FBI agent.

'You may have heard some talk around the office about the commendation dinner' Peter said as Neal looked back at him expressionless

'This year is a little different. For one thing, it's here in New York and… well, each year they highlight the work of one of the teams. This year, our division is being recognized for our high closure rate' Peter added with just enough pride in his voice

'That's great!' Neal said with a neutral smile on his face

'You know Neal, ever since you joined the team, our closure rate has skyrocketed' Peter said as he peered into Neal's eyes

Neal shrugged demurely. He knew his contribution had had a direct impact on the success of the team; after all, he could gloat with the best of them.

'About a week ago, word came down from DC that only staff were invited to attend the dinner – no non-FBI staff, including CIs' he said, trying to make it sound like an across the board decision

Neal just sat there listening, not giving much away.

'But Reese and I, well, we tried to get the decision overturned' he began 'we really felt that since the unit was being honored you should have the right to be there'

'I take it you were unsuccessful' Neal said glibly with one of his patented smiles plastered on

Peter pulled his eyes away from Neal's for a moment, unable to look at him. The rain was really coming down and he spoke a little louder in order to be heard over its sound on the car's windshield.

'I want you to know that Hughes pulled out all the stops…' he said

'Peter, it's fine. Look, I'm _not_ an FBI agent. I get it' Neal interrupted, his response tinged with just a touch of bitterness

'But it doesn't make it right, Neal. Everybody in that office knows that you're a big part of the success we've had' Peter continued

'Don't let Jones and Diana hear you say that' Neal said, trying to keep things light – a typical deflection on his part

Whenever he reverted to being glib, Peter knew Neal was hurt; it was his go-to behavior whenever something happened that upset him. Peter had seen it time and time again over the years, especially when he'd taunted or teased him in the past – often times regretting his words as soon as they'd left his lips.

'Jones and Diana have no problems with self-esteem… but they also know how hard _you've_ worked in the past year to get us those arrests' Peter added with sincerity

'Don't worry about it, Peter. I understand' Neal said, cutting him off and grabbing for the car door

'Thanks for going to bat for me' he added as he put one foot out of the car

Before Peter could even respond, Neal was out of the car and Peter watched as the CI ran up the steps to June's house, trying to avoid getting totally soaked in the downpour.

Peter gave the steering wheel a frustrated smack; he could have handled that better, he fumed.

WCWCWC

Neal fumbled for a moment as he tried to locate his house key. He'd been distracted by the conversation and hadn't taken the time to fish for it in his pant pocket before he left the car. He cursed the damn tight jeans Nick was wearing as he struggled with getting the key out. He was aware that Peter hadn't pulled away yet and he was anxious to get inside, out of his sight - as if Peter could read what he was feeling as he stood there in the pouring rain.

He finally got the door open and stepped in, not bothering to turn back and wave to Peter as he usually did. He swallowed hard and shook his head, feeling beads of rain fall from his thick head of hair onto his jacket. The house was quiet; no sign of June or any of the staff so Neal checked to make sure they were all locked up for the night and began the long slow climb up to his apartment.

WCWCWC

Peter drove home slowly, his mind processing what had just happened. Neal was a strong, confident man (hell, make that overconfident) in so many ways but Peter knew that when it came to his very core, Neal still struggled with a lack of self-worth. Not having parents to nurture him and celebrate his talents had undeniably set him up for lingering feelings of insecurity and Neal had done the best he could with what life had handed him. He'd found ways to keep himself safe – physically and emotionally – and anyone looking at him from the outside would think he'd done an incredible job at overcoming the lack of nurturing from those early years.

But those wounds ran deep, and to Neal's chagrin, they often resurfaced at the worst possible times, exposing his vulnerabilities, something he absolutely hated. It had taken some time for Agent Burke to see that; at first, all he'd seen was the arrogance and the cockiness that drove him around the bend but with time, he'd found that much of it was a facade and he'd learned to appreciate Neal's gentleness and generosity, hidden right under the surface.

'Damn it!' he cursed under his breath. Neal had worked so hard to be accepted as part of the team and it was still a struggle at times. Jones and Diana were still wary of Neal – as any good agents _should_ be - but Peter had seen the camaraderie develop as Neal continued to prove himself a worthy member of the White Collar unit. He shook his head, realizing he was powerless to fix this particular situation; all he could do was be sensitive to what Neal was going through.

WCWCWC

Neal stepped into the apartment, noticing just how quiet it was. He'd been surprised to see the lights on when he'd glanced up earlier; it was late and Sara didn't _do_ late very well these days. Although most of the lights were still on, he instantly spotted her sound asleep on top of the bed covers as she tended to do when she was just planning to rest for a few minutes.

He smiled at the sight of her. She'd obviously been trying – apparently without success – to wait up for him. He removed the wet jacket and walked gingerly over to the kitchen table to drape it over one of the chairs, taking off his shoes and leaving them there before heading back to the bathroom at the back of the apartment. He felt cold, inside and out, and although he was mostly a morning shower person, he suddenly craved the warmth of a hot shower. He stood under the hot spray for a long time, replaying the conversation he'd just had with Peter and enjoying the feeling of warmth on his skin.

When he came out, fifteen minutes later, clad in his usual silk sleep pants, the first thing he did was glance over towards Sara once again. She hadn't moved since he'd last checked on her and he proceeded to walk around the apartment turning off the lights before heading over to the bed. He wasn't ready to go to sleep yet so he simply covered Sara's sleeping form with the duvet not wanting to wake her, lest she start questioning him about his talk with Peter. He wasn't ready to talk about it just yet and he grabbed his Ipod and, leaving just one small light on, he settled on the couch, ear buds in his ears to try to digest what had just happened.

WCWCWC

Back in Brooklyn, Elizabeth was sitting up reading when Peter entered their bedroom. Knowing her husband as she did, it took her a millisecond to realize all was not well as he made his way over to where she lay, looking defeated.

'Hey honey' she said as he sat on the edge of the bed

He smiled but didn't say anything. She knew enough not to ask; once he was settled in bed and she was nestled in his arms, she would get him to talk – she always did. She watched as he undressed and made his way to the bathroom, returning a few minutes later and turning off the lights before slipping in next to her in silence.

'How did it go?' she finally asked when she deemed the moment right

'You know Neal, on the surface it's all good but...' he began as he drew her to him

'He's a big boy, honey, he'll deal with it' she said softly in the dark

'I know that but it still doesn't make this right' Peter said, always on a quest for what he deemed was 'just'

'You know, sometimes we forget about the rough start Neal had in life. He looks like he's always led a charmed life but you know, all those creature comforts and all that excitement he surrounds himself with... it's just his way of not dealing with how he really feels about himself' he continued

'Why Agent Burke - or should I call you Dr. Freud, where is all this coming from?' El said in jest as Peter snickered

'I'm serious, El. Sometimes, I look at Neal and I see a strong, confident man and other times... all I can see is a lost little boy'

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The warmth that suddenly enveloped her was most welcome but the gentle movement that accompanied it caused Sara Ellis to stir from her restless sleep and she watched in the near darkness as Neal left her side and made his way over to sit on the couch, stopping to grab his ear phones on the way. Short of picking up a paintbrush and getting to work on a blank canvas, listening to music was Neal's favorite way of processing whatever issue he was grappling with at any given time – this she knew from the past few months sharing her life with the man. She kept her eyes locked on him, not daring to move and she watched as he settled on the couch, his head falling back and his eyes closed. She could tell by the way he moved that he was trying to sort something out - whether it was something related to their current case or the situation regarding the commendation dinner, she couldn't tell.

She lay there in silence, watching the man she loved and resisting the impulse to join him on the couch, at least just yet. Neal had his own way of processing things which began with letting new information fully seep into his psyche before trusting himself enough to react honestly to it. Unlike her, he did not respond spontaneously to events and situations. Whereas Sara reacted immediately - and without filter - whenever something happened that elicited some strong emotion on her part; Neal's way was to respond in the moment with a measure of caution, in a controlled, guarded way, mask firmly in place. It usually took some time, but unless he was in full denial mode, Neal would then allow himself to get in touch with how he was _really_ feeling about whatever was on his mind. This, she'd learned, was his way of protecting himself from getting hurt - not letting his true emotions show in the face of events, sheltering himself from too much emotion, too soon. It was a safety valve of sorts and kept him safe from feelings he couldn't quite understand – or cope with – in the heat of the moment.

She thought of the wonderful man she'd been discovering over the last little while. Living in close quarters made it harder for Neal to hide his true self from her and ever since that night a few months back when he'd blurted out that he loved her, she'd seen the trust factor between them sky rocket as he dared to share more and more of himself, uncensored. Of course, it was a case of two steps forward, one step back as Neal struggled with his need to protect himself from what he feared was inevitable pain; but the pure joy and anticipation of becoming a father had somehow trumped Neal's need to be 'on' at all times and he had continued to give Sara more and more glimpses into his caring, loving soul.

Neal felt the soft sound of Sibelius' Sad Waltz wash over him like a soothing wave. It always helped him process things more clearly when he managed to push away all the unnecessary crap surrounding the root of what he needed to work out. In this case, it wasn't a problem that needed solving per se, or a caper which needed careful planning – it was simply a nagging desire to figure out how he was _really_ feeling about what had just transpired in the car with Peter.

As of late, he'd begun to let himself believe that he might someday have a 'normal' life, the kind of life Mozzie had always warned him _not_ to long for. The situation with Sara, although totally unexpected, had served to bolster his belief that maybe, just maybe, he _was_ entitled to be happy just like everybody else. He'd begun to project himself into the future imagining himself as a dad, maybe even a husband if things continued the way they were going. Like everyone else who roams the earth, all Neal had ever wanted was to belong and he and Sara were slowly but surely building a future with each other and he'd begun to get lulled into what he now feared might be a false sense of security.

At work, his relationships were built on a strong foundation and even though he had fleeting moments of panic, wondering what the hell he was doing working with the FBI, most days, it felt right and congruent with his values and beliefs. Although he might be described as a career criminal, Neal had none of the characteristics of the self-centered, callous individuals they brought down on a daily basis. As time passed, he'd managed to con himself into thinking he was part of something bigger than himself, part of a team. It was clear now that he didn't fit in as much as he'd hoped he had.

His body had just begun to melt into the soft couch when he felt a gentle touch on his arm. He let out a small gasp, opening his eyes to find Sara sitting there next to him, her face calm and composed.

'You startled me' he said as he pulled out the ear phones

She just smiled a gentle smile in response.

'Sorry. I guess you didn't hear me when I said your name' she said

She tucked her long lean legs up underneath her and turned to face him, her hand running lovingly through his still damp hair as he smiled back, happy to see her.

'Rough night?' she asked

'It was good' he deflected 'We got what we needed from her and now I've got two days to get a forgery ready'

'What is it this time?' she asked

'Some Peruvian piece I know nothing about' he said, laughing '...but I'll figure it out'

She sat and listened, waiting for him to come clean about what was really bothering him.

'Oh, and I found out Peter can be a very mean boyfriend when he wants to be' he added with a soft chuckle

Sara wasn't going to be deterred; she knew that whatever had Neal sitting up late at night in this state was most likely _not_ the case they were working on. Neal worked instinctively when it came to their cases and he'd learned a long time ago to always trust himself to find a way out, no matter what; years of thinking on his feet had taught him that he would always know what to do when the time was right. No, whatever this was had to do with Peter – as it usually did. He was the yin to Neal's yang, the ego to Neal's id and whenever Neal became quiet and introspective, it was most often in response to something Peter had said or done forcing him to look in the mirror and take a good, long look at himself.

They sat in silence for a moment as Sara waited for him to share what was really on his mind. She knew better than to ask directly; that always carried an element of risk and the ex-con might shut down completely, something she didn't want to have happen. And so, she waited for a long awkward moment.

'I finally found out what all the mystery was about' he finally said as he took her free hand in his 'apparently, non-FBI staff aren't welcome at the commendation dinner'

Sara nodded and he realized she already knew.

'What? Did Elizabeth finally come clean?' he asked

'Yeah. Turns out she's been avoiding me since last week. She's been worried about hurting your feelings' she answered

Neal suddenly felt cold and he craved the warmth of Sara's embrace; he let his head fall from where it lay on the back of the couch onto her shoulder as she put a protective arm around him and drew him near.

'You know what the worst part is?' Neal said, his voice faraway 'I get it. I totally understand the optics of having a criminal at an FBI dinner'

'Ex-criminal' Sara corrected as she placed her lips on his forehead and kissed him gently

'I guess I'm kidding myself if I think I can be like everybody else...' he began, finally putting his thoughts and feelings into words

'Thank God for that!' Sara said with a soft laugh 'I love you just the way you are'

Neal lifted his head and gave her a dirty look. 'You know what I mean' he said

'I do, sweetie, I do' she said, turning serious

She played with his hair as she continued 'I know it's tough but until you get that anklet off, there will always be those who can't see past it'

'Sara' Neal said, his voice sad 'I feel like I'm always going to be on the outside, looking in. Like I'm never really going to belong...'

She ran her hand lovingly up and down his arm as she listened, her heart breaking for him. Her place was not to judge or censor his feelings, just listen and make sure he knew just how wonderful he truly was and how much he was loved.

'It _will_ get better, Neal' she said softly as she felt his hand resting on her tummy 'Some day, you can leave all this behind, accountable to no one but yourself'

Neal let out a long slow sigh, his hand gently rubbing Sara's baby bump

'Thank God for the two of you' he said, his voice a little unsteady

'Neal, you deserve every good thing that's happening to you. You're a loving, wonderful man' Sara began 'And I know you don't always think you deserve to have good things happen to you, but you _do_. Our baby is so lucky to have you as a dad'

It was Neal's turn to listen as Sara's words washed over him like a soothing balm. She continued, the voice of reason.

'This thing... with the dinner... it's just, well, it has _nothing_ to do with you and what you're worth to that team. It's politics. That's why Peter's so upset. Elizabeth said he's been agonizing for days now about telling you' she said

'He has?' Neal asked, curious

'Of course he has. El says he's been losing sleep over this. He's even threatening not to go to the dinner to protest the decision' she added as Neal listened attentively

To have Peter ready to go to bat for him and to know that Peter agonized about how _he_ would be feeling meant the world to him. All Neal had ever wanted was to be worthy of Peter's trust and his friendship. Peter represented all that was just and righteous and he had taken a chance on Neal, something the CI would always be grateful for.

He felt Sara's warm body against his and suddenly, he needed to be reassured that she was there for the long run.

'You and me' Neal said seemingly out of the blue 'It's real, isn't it?'

He was suddenly calling into question every good thing that was happening to him.

Sara gazed at him, love apparent on her face and she placed her hand on top of his as he continued to lovingly rub her belly.

' _This_ is as real as it gets, Caffrey' she said, her voice faltering

They were both damaged goods and she had her moments of doubt as well; worried that this – they – were just a mirage which might disappear in the blink of an eye. He saw the fleeting look of worry on her face and leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips, suddenly feeling the need to reassure her.

'Thank you' he whispered as his eyes locked with hers in the quiet room

'Now, do you think you're ready to come to bed?' she asked, jostling him

'In a minute' he said softly as he pulled her in tighter

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

'Alright people, listen up!' Peter said at the early morning meeting 'Caffrey here needs to deliver a forgery of _this_ painting to Marnie James by 8:00 Friday night'

Peter held up a photograph of the Morillo painting as Neal glanced at the reactions around the room; he knew that what he did was still intriguing to his FBI comrades and he enjoyed watching their faces as they pretended _not_ to be impressed by his unique talents.

'Now, Roseanne Lebeau tells us this painting is due to go up in the west wing of the exhibit hall sometime on Saturday so Marnie James and her partner have a small window of opportunity to make the swap. Neal's going to try to narrow the timeline but we fully expect that they'll try to make the switch late Friday night'

Diana chimed in. 'The piece is called _Girls at the Zoo_ , street value anywhere between two and three hundred thousand – _if_ they have the right buyer, that is. But James was very specific about this piece so we suspect they already have someone lined up'

'So, I need a team on James and I also need someone keeping an eye on her brother Scott in case they've got something else lined up. They might have other irons in the fire that we don't know about. New pieces are going up in the exhibit hall every day so if they're targeting any other pieces, they're going to start to feel pressured to move quickly' Peter added

'Jones, you and Stevens take Scott – I want him monitored twenty four hours a day until this is over. Diana, I need you and Blake to keep your eyes on Marnie. When she's at the museum, Neal's got her covered but I want her followed the rest of the time just in case'

'You got it, boss' Diana responded

'Now, Nick here got his boss to give him the afternoon off so he can get started on the forgery. This is a short turnaround time' he said as he turned to Neal 'Are you going to be able to make the deadline?'

Neal gave him a smug, 'what do you think' look as he swivelled on his chair, his swagger firmly back in place

'Did you get everything I asked for?' Neal asked

He'd been up since five o'clock in the morning, researching the piece and making a list of the supplies he'd need to successfully pull it off. He was planning to spend as much time as he could with the original before he got started.

'Everything will be at your place by noon' Peter said as he turned to one of the probies and handed him a list

'Don't skimp on anything' Neal added as he rose to leave

He needed to start his day at the museum by 8:30 and he didn't want to be late.

'Allright, let's go' Peter said in his cheerleading voice 'with any luck, we can have this one wrapped up within 72 hours'

The group dispersed with Diana hanging back for a second while both she and Peter gathered up the documents they'd brought in to the meeting.

'So, how did it go last night?' she asked with a bit of a chuckle. Word was getting around that 'Nick' and Peter had made a most convincing 'couple'

'Sounds like Jones has already hung me out to dry' Peter said as he looked sideways at Diana

'Just the broad strokes' she admitted 'but it sounds like you and Caffrey got into a pissing match to see who could be the worst boyfriend'

'Let's just call it a draw' Peter said as he prepared to leave

'Oh, boss' Diana said, as an afterthought 'did you have a chance to talk to Neal about the dinner on Saturday night?'

She knew from the look she'd seen on his face the day before that he hadn't been looking forward to having that conversation.

'Yeah, we talked about it on the way back' Peter said not giving much away

Diana stared back, not asking the question she was burning to ask.

'Aw, you know Neal. He acted like I was giving him the weather forecast' Peter said, his voice serious 'but I know it's gotta hurt. He's put in blood, sweat and tears around here and to be snubbed like that...'

He could feel his blood boiling all over again as he thought of the impossible situation the brass in DC had put him in. Diana nodded in response. The CI drove her crazy at the best of times but she admired how he went all out when he committed to something and three years after he'd strutted into the Bureau, she had learned to see the soft side of the man. Plus, no one livened up a party like Neal Caffrey – and truth be told, she'd been looking forward to sharing the special night with him.

'For what it's worth, I'm sorry it didn't work out' she said as she exited the room leaving Peter to stare off into space.

WCWCWC

By lunchtime, Neal was back at the apartment, clad in old chinos and the usual undershirt, staring at a blank canvas. The moment just before he started on a new project was always the same: exhilarating and daunting in equal measures. The sheer starkness of the canvas held the promise of anything he could possibly imagine although he always had a fleeting trepidation that this might be the one time his inexplicable talent would mysteriously vanish and fall short of the mark.

He checked over the supplies the probie had left for him, admiring the high end materials. Although this forgery would likely be destroyed once the sting was over, Neal was always compelled to do things right. He couldn't bear shoddy work, be it a forgery, a theft or a pickpocket attempt. If there was one thing he'd learned back in his conman days, it was that things deserved to be done right; there was pride in having given the best of one's self – even in illicit activities.

He'd spent the morning studying the original painting and although he wasn't very familiar with the artist, he'd been pleased to discover that Daniel Hernandez Morillo's style and the theme of the painting appealed to his sense of aesthetics. Although Neal had studied _all_ the greats, he had a definite leaning for French Impressionism and he wasn't nearly as appreciative of abstract styles - although he could likely copy anything he set his mind to. This painting, depicting two girls, arms entwined, looking over at a majestic lion, was reminiscent of the impressionist style, and he learned that Morillo had studied in France and Spain.

Neal took a deep breath before taking the plunge and he lifted his paintbrush, intent on doing what he did best.

WCWCWC

'How was he when he got home?' Elizabeth asked as the two women settled in front of identical Cobb salads

Sara picked up her fork and began stabbing at her salad mindlessly as she thought back to Neal, as he'd finally fallen asleep in her arms on the couch. She rarely got a glimpse of his vulnerabilities, even now, but the fact that he'd trusted her enough to share his innermost fears was a testament to their continually evolving relationship. As much as she loved cocky, impulsive Neal, she was learning to love and appreciate gentle, vulnerable Neal just as much.

'It hurts... for me to see him like that' Sara admitted

El looked over at her friend, trying to establish eye contact. Whatever had happened between Neal and Sara was obviously very private and intense; she needed to respect their intimacy yet, in her typical Elizabeth Burke fashion, she was curious to know what had happened.

'This whole thing is so unfair' she said 'Peter's still blaming himself. He hasn't decided whether we're going to the dinner or not'

'No!' Sara said, without hesitation 'Neal wouldn't want Peter to miss this... it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the team'

'Well, that's a decision Peter has to make for himself' El answered as she took a bite of her salad

'Look, Neal's a big boy and he understands that this is not Peter's doing. You should really encourage him to go' said Sara

Elizabeth shrugged. This was a no-win situation but even as she realized that, an idea was beginning to form in her overactive mind.

WCWCWC

'Neal! Neal!' he heard from far away

He'd been having a wonderful dream although it evaporated instantly the moment the unwelcome voice interrupted his blissful slumber. He cocked an eye open, seeing Sara looming over him.

'We slept through the alarm' she said as she sat on the edge of the bed, trying to get her bearings

Neal turned over towards her and resolutely closing his eyes again, he reached out to pull her back onto the bed.

'Mmpph' he moaned, unimpressed

'Neal! I'm serious. It's past seven thirty' she said, slipping out of his grasp and standing by the bed

He was normally the early riser of the pair and she counted on him to nudge her awake if she slept through the alarm. But the last two nights had been late ones and she realized that it was all catching up to him.

'What time did you finally make it to bed?' she asked as she stood and stretched, feeling the familiar flutter in her tummy and smiling in response

'About five...thirty' he mumbled, still not moving

She let out a long suffering sigh.

'You're going to kill yourself if you keep going at this pace' she said sounding like his mom rather than his girlfriend

'It'll all be over by tomorrow' he muttered as he turned in the bed, trying to intercept her as she walked past him. This time, he was successful and she tumbled down on top of him as he smiled, eyes still firmly closed, thoroughly pleased with himself.

'Neal!' she admonished although she was laughing simultaneously. Talk about giving mixed messages.

Neal was notorious for wanting to cuddle in the morning and she feigned fighting him off for a moment, giving in as he kissed her languorously, finally opening his eyes to see her reaction.

'Not going to happen, Caffrey' she said as she poked him in the ribs, taking him by surprise – just long enough to escape his clutches

'Get up!' she screamed, laughing as she made a run for the bathroom

'Awwww' she heard as she ran away

WCWCWC

Marnie and Nick sat in a quiet corner of the staff cafeteria at the MoMA chatting. It was Friday morning and she'd confided in him that she and her brother would be switching out the paintings later that night in anticipation of the Morillo being consigned to its new home on the museum wall. Neal had been working long hours to produce the best painting possible and he liked to think it would pass muster even with someone who was familiar with the artist's works. He was exhausted but pleased with himself and he looked forward to Marnie fawning over the finished product when she finally laid eyes on it.

'So, is it done?' she asked as she furtively looked around

She'd been all business ever since Neal had told her about having a boyfriend and the ex-con was relieved he didn't have to keep fighting off her advances; he could finally concentrate on the job he'd been hired to do.

'I just need to finish aging it and it's ready to go' Neal said as he took a sip of coffee

'So how do you do that?' she asked as Neal raised an eyebrow and gave her crooked smile

'Now if I tell you _that_ , you wouldn't need my services anymore' he responded

'I need to see it before tonight' she said, changing gears

Neal pulled out his phone and brought up a photograph he'd taken of the finished work, watching as Marnie looked at it, suitably impressed.

'I can bring it by your place' Neal offered. The last thing he wanted was for Marnie James to be snooping around his apartment.

'Bring it by at around 8:00' she instructed as Neal nodded

She glanced into his smiling eyes, noting the devilish grin on his face. Man, the guy was gorgeous and as far as she was concerned, it was a damn shame he played for the other team.

'You sure you don't swing both ways, huh?' she asked in a last ditch effort at enticing him. She knew that after they pulled the switch later that night, she'd be high on endorphins and hot sex was always the best way to celebrate a successful heist.

'Sorry' Neal said with a wink

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

'I think we're being watched' Scott James said as he sat with his sister in her apartment

It was 7:30 on Friday night and the siblings were finishing up their meal, awaiting the delivery of the forged Morillo that was set to net them another nifty sum of money. They had successfully done this four times before and Marnie was beginning to feel invincible. They'd gotten money up front for the Rivera and they had a fence ready to take on this new acquisition as well – it was like taking candy from a baby.

'I think you're being paranoid' she answered as she removed the dishes from the table

'Look, what do we _really_ know about this Halden guy?' he asked nervously

'What are you talking about? The guy's a master forger; he did time for forging a Manet in Europe. He's good, I checked him out' Marnie said

'I don't know. Don't you think it's awfully convenient that he showed up to work at the museum just when we're in middle of this job. And I swear, I saw a guy lurking outside the Marvel again this afternoon. What if someone's on to us?' he asked

As the younger sibling, he deferred to his big sister in these things; after all, she'd been the mastermind behind this little con of theirs. When they'd heard that the museum was looking for staff to help prepare the Mayan exhibit, it had seemed like a great way to get in on the ground floor and check out any opportunities to make some extra cash. He was used to skimming profits off the top at the Marvel where he worked but that was small potatoes compared to the works being prepped for this exhibit.

Having staff access to the museum gave them an unprecedented way in and it had taken barely a week for Marnie to start sussing out the weaknesses of the place. Incredible as it was that a big place like the MoMA would have such weak spots, they were definitely there, if you had access.

'Look, you're just getting cold feet like you did the other four times. We're fine' she said dismissively 'This guy's good and maybe he'll do a couple of others for us before this is all over'

Scott glanced around nervously; he was always the more cautious of the two although Marnie's more forceful style had certainly paid off in spades. She was definitely more daring but she wasn't stupid - and she began to wonder about her brother's comments.

'Look, if you're really nervous, we'll bring him along with us on the job – keep him close by' she said

There was no harm in keeping gorgeous Nick Halden in her sights during the switch, just in case. If it all went off without a hitch, they would know he was on the up and up; otherwise, he'd be caught with his hand in the cookie jar, right alongside them.

WCWCWC

The White Collar offices were buzzing when Neal entered after his shift at the museum. He'd swung by the apartment to pick up the forged painting; Mozzie had done a great job aging it and Neal had spent a good ten minutes admiring his own handiwork before heading out.

'You know Neal, this could have been _our_ con' Mozzie had complained 'We could be netting ten times what you're going to get for that copy'

'Calm down, Moz' Neal had said, bringing the man back down to earth 'First of all, I'm not making _any_ money off this, this is an FBI sting or did you forget?'

'That's just the point, Neal' Mozzie lamented, as always frustrated that Neal's amazing talents couldn't be used to supplement their income

Neal had given him _the_ look and Mozzie had relented but it was always the same old story; old habits died hard and it seemed Mozzie would never give up hope that Neal would return to the life.

Now, Neal sat with Peter in the conference room, finishing up some bad Chinese food as the crew began to dissipate, getting ready for the op which was just a few hours away.

'This is incredible work' Peter said as he eyed Neal's handiwork

Although it wasn't necessarily the type of approval he wanted from Peter, it was nice to have the federal agent recognize his uncanny talents and Neal smiled smugly as his partner took in the forgery.

'So, you're in and out of her apartment in what - ten minutes?' Peter asked

'Yeah, they're expecting me around 8:00; I'll meet you in the van when I'm done' Neal answered

'So, tell me, how does she deactivate the alarm?' Peter asked, curious

If Peter could give the museum some insight into any weak spots they might have, it would help prevent any future breaches of their security – and make the unit look good in the process.

'Easy' Neal said as he rocked back in his chair 'She's let back into the area by the guard a few minutes after we close for the day – says she forgot her phone or something – and she deactivates the alarm on her way back out. The staff entrance is on a separate system which isn't monitored by the museum'

'Incredible. You'd think a place like that would monitor their staff entrance' Peter said

'They do, just not with the same vigilance. If she used her access card to get back in, they'd have a record of her coming in and out. This way, the alarm is never on in the first place' Neal said

'And you're sure she's not on to you?' Peter asked for the third time

'Peter, that's just insulting' Neal answered in his usual cocky way

'Alright, well be careful' he warned 'sometimes, the quiet ones carry big guns'

Neal gave his partner an eye roll – he had this.

'Peter, you know... the dinner tomorrow night' Neal added as an afterthought

'Yeah' Peter answered, not really wanting to reopen the whole discussion

'Sara said you were considering not going' Neal said

Peter looked slightly uncomfortable. He hadn't meant for that to get to Neal's ears. Damn El and her friendship with Sara! He nodded.

'Look, I appreciate the gesture but it's not going to change anything. Please go. Do it for Jones, for Diana and for the rest of the team. I get it, this is a big deal and believe me, I'd love to be along for the ride but don't punish everybody else because of what those dicks in DC have decided' Neal said

Peter looked at Neal and gave him a weak smile.

'You know Caffrey, every time I think I've got you figured out...' he began, letting his voice trail

Neal just shrugged and got to his feet. He had a job to finish.

WCWCWC

Sara Ellis knocked on the door to the Burke house and heard Elizabeth calling to her in the distance.

'Come on in Sara' she heard from the back of the house

Sara stepped in out of the cold November evening; it was becoming commonplace for the two women to sit around and wait together when the guys were out on a job – especially a take-down. Although Sara had been around Neal for a long time, now that they were living together, she was more aware of his comings and goings and suddenly, she understood how Elizabeth felt when she said goodbye to her husband every morning before he left to go catch some bad guys.

'Hey! I come bearing gifts' she said as she took off her coat and threw it on a chair in the dining room

El was busy making some concoction and she looked up at Sara, her arms full of packages.

'I got the Thai food' she said as she put down a bag that looked like it contained enough food to feed an army 'and... Neal made us an almond torte' she added licking her lips 'Wait until you taste this'

'And I have made us some alcohol-free mojitos' El said as she handed a glass to her friend

'Just what I need' Sara exclaimed as she took a seat across the island from Elizabeth

She looked radiant, wearing a royal blue maternity dress – another gift from Neal – and her smile was bright and intense. El hadn't seen her looking this good in months.

'You look amazing!' Elizabeth said as she sipped the minty drink

'Well, I finally feel human again' Sara admitted

After almost four months of morning sickness, recuperating from a broken arm and just plain feeling run down, she'd felt amazing the last few days, energetic and happy. Elizabeth smiled at her; she envied Sara's situation at the moment. Having a baby had always been on hers and Peter's radar but for reasons that were unknown, it had never materialized. Although she was happy for her friend, she couldn't help wishing she could be in her shoes, preparing for the birth of a baby. The silver lining, of course, was that she and Peter were going to be godparents to this wonderful baby.

'Oh, oh, feel this!' Sara said as she put down her drink and walked over to stand next to Elizabeth.

'You're kidding! I didn't know the baby was kicking' El said as she felt Sara's baby bump

'It just started last week. At first, I thought it was just my stomach rumbling but Dr. Cooper says it can start anytime now – I guess, he – or she' Sara added 'is one busy little person'

'So when's the ultrasound?' El asked

'Two more weeks' Sara said with a smile 'We should find out the sex of the baby and maybe I'll finally be able to get Neal to stop calling it 'Boo-boo'

'Oooh. Yeah, I heard him say that the other day. You really need to get him to stop' El said, laughing

'You know, Sara. I've never seen Neal this happy' El admitted

Sara nodded. 'As much as I was worried about him stepping up to the plate... he's really been amazing these last few months'

'Oh' said El, remembering what she wanted to tell her friend 'I have an idea and I want to run it by you' she said mysteriously as they settled in to chat

WCWCWC

The James siblings looked at each other as they heard a knock on the door. It was 7:58; Nick was right on time. Marnie opened the door to see the man standing there with a glib look on his face, carrying a large canvas wrapped in craft paper.

'Right on time, Nick' said Marnie as she stepped aside to let him in

'Halden' Scott James said as Neal came into view

'So, let's have a peek at this treasure' Marnie said as she made room on her small dining room table

Neal set out the painting and carefully slipped it out of its wrapping, careful to not damage the paper.

'Wow!' said Marnie as she took in the sight of the canvas 'You and I could really go places with your talent and my brains!'

Neal looked at her and smiled. If you only knew lady, he thought, I'm the complete package and I sure as hell wouldn't need the likes of you to 'go places'

'Why don't you sit down and we'll have a drink before we go' said Marnie

'Oh, sorry I can't. Peter's waiting for me back at the apartment. We have dinner plans in half an hour' Neal began as he started to turn to leave

Suddenly, Scott James was standing between him and the door and the look in the young man's eyes was anything but reassuring.

'But I insist' Marnie said as Neal's eyes went from the woman to her brother who was looking awfully nervous 'As a matter of fact, Scott and I would like you to come along on our little mission'

Neal's smile came down a couple of megawatts. 'Guys, I didn't sign up for breaking into a museum' he said

'But we insist' Scott said as he leaned forward, exposing the gun that was tucked into the back of his pants

Neal continued to smile, undaunted.

'All right' he said with a sigh 'but I'll have to give Peter a call or he might come looking for me'

'Be my guest' Marnie said with a devious smile

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

'Neal, what's wrong?' Peter asked as he heard his CI's voice on the other end of the phone

'Nothing. I just have to work late, that's all' Neal expertly lied as his gaze went from Marnie to Scott James - who was eyeing him suspiciously

'No, baby, I'm _not_ going to make it back in time for dinner' Neal said, waiting a second or two before continuing 'I know it's our anniversary, Peter, but I can't turn down the extra time, we need the money. Look, I promise I'll make it up to you when I get home, okay?' he added, his voice quiet and definitely flirty

'And if you're good...' he continued 'I'll take you to the Scaramouche this weekend'

'Love you' he said before hanging up

'Good' said Marnie, satisfied as to Neal's little performance 'Now, we can walk you through the plan'

Neal took a deep breath. He suddenly regretted not asking for a communication device before he'd left the Bureau. Both he and Peter had felt the situation didn't warrant it; after all, he was just dropping off the painting on the way to the stakeout, not going undercover. There had been no reason to suspect that either one of the James siblings was potentially dangerous. Now, he had no choice but to play along and remember to duck if things got ugly. At least, Peter knew what was going on and he'd have his back – or at least Neal hoped he would.

Blueprints of the backrooms of the MoMA had suddenly appeared on the table and Marnie proceeded to show him the plan – in and out, no fuss, no muss. Neal realized that if it hadn't been for Roseanne Lebeau's keen eye, they might have continued to get away with it; after all, they'd slipped in and out of the museum undetected on four previous occasions, which was no small feat. The duo had obviously done their homework and Neal couldn't help but feel a small twinge of excitement as he was brought in to their inner circle.

Truth be told, Marnie was an attractive woman, full of life and excitement and something about her reminded him of Alex, fearless and confident, even in the face of adversity. In another time, he might have brought her in on a couple of jobs – although his preference had always been to work alone. He saw the shadow of a kindred spirit in her and he couldn't deny that any talk of a potential heist still got his blood pumping after all this time.

Neal shook the crazy notion away; he thought of Sara back home, waiting for him and he reminded himself that he was right where he wanted to be and that he still had so much to prove to his unborn baby - and to himself. The fleeting excitement he'd just experienced could never compare to that moment a few days before when Sara had placed his hand on her stomach, urging him to be quiet. He smiled despite himself at the realization and he forced his eyes back to the plans laid out on the table.

'Look, this is our fifth time and we haven't gotten caught yet. I'm telling you Nick, this is easy money' she said as she produced an envelope ultimately destined for him

Neal made a show of glancing at the stack of bills inside before she pulled them away and stuffed them back into her jacket pocket. Money was good for what it could buy but for Neal, it had _never_ been about the money – he'd lived 'the life' for years for the sheer exhilaration of it and for the excitement he'd felt each time he'd managed to outsmart the clever Peter Burke.

'So, relax, enjoy your drink' Marnie said as she handed him a glass of amber liquid 'By the time the night is over, we'll have the genuine article in our hot little hands and you'll be several grand richer'

WCWCWC

Peter stared down at the phone, replaying the conversation he'd just had with his CI. Neal was obviously trying to tell him something with his reference to the high end restaurant. Neither one of them had ever eaten there as far as he knew, nor could they afford to (although in Neal's case, that was debatable). The only time they had ever set foot in the Scaramouche had been during the takedown on the Torrington case. Peter recalled how it had gotten very ugly very fast and that guns had appeared out of nowhere, Neal barely making it out alive. Was Neal trying to tell Peter that there were guns involved? At first glance, this amateurish duo didn't seem to have the chutzpah to carry out an armed theft but, hey, he had to admit that Scott James was a twitchy fellow and twitchy fellows and guns were a lethal combination.

'Jones, Diana, get up here' Peter called from the balustrade above the bull pen

The agents moved quickly, sensing the urgency in Peter's voice and within minutes, the threesome was sitting in the conference room as Peter filled them in on the latest wrinkle.

'We've got a problem' he said 'For some reason, they've decided to keep Neal with them while they pull the job'

'Do you think they made him?' Jones asked

'Either that, or we've drawn their suspicion with our surveillance. Either way, Neal is flying solo and we don't have ears on him so I want everybody to be extra careful out there' he said

'Do you think they're going to throw him under the bus?' Diana asked

'Well, they obviously want him implicated if they get caught. I just don't want this thing going sideways' Peter warned

'Look, what do you two remember about the takedown on the Torrington case?' Peter asked checking to see if he was interpreting Neal's coded message properly

'Guns!' they both said in unison

'That's what I thought. Neal referred to it when he called. I think he's trying to tell me that Marnie James or her brother is armed' Peter said as he looked from Jones to Diana

'Go brief your teams and I'll join you in the van in a minute' Peter said as he ran his hands through his hair

What had started out as a simple takedown had now taken an unexpected turn and his job was to make certain Neal came out of this in one piece.

WCWCWC

'So, what do you think?' asked El as she stuffed one last bite of pad thai in her mouth

'I don't know El. It's a lovely idea but... I'm just not sure how Neal would feel about it' Sara answered, pushing back from the table

'This would give him a chance to celebrate with the rest of the team and Peter could do a little presentation...' Elizabeth began, her eyes alight with excitement

Sara looked at her friend thoughtfully. Elizabeth's idea of throwing a party in Neal's honor so he could have his own award presentation was sweet and was most certainly motivated by her concern for him but Sara wasn't sure how her boyfriend would react to that kind of attention. Sure, Neal loved having all eyes on him when he waltzed into a room and he enjoyed watching people stop and stare whenever he strutted down the street with that familiar swagger of his – but this was different, he wouldn't be in control and Sara knew that might make him uneasy.

'Maybe if we had a small dinner for him here...but it would have to be _really_ low-key' Sara warned as she slowly began to warm to the idea 'I really don't think Neal wants to make a big fuss over this'

She knew Neal pretty well and she was getting to know him more and more with each passing day as they shared their daily lives with one another. There was an element of awkwardness and unease for Neal with this whole commendation dinner thing and she didn't want him becoming embarrassed by having too much attention drawn to it.

'Okay, we could keep it small' El agreed, sounding a little disappointed 'Just the immediate team - '

'... and by 'immediate team', you mean?' Sara interrupted, uneasy

'Just us and Diana and Jones... and maybe we could invite June? And what about Mozzie?' Elizabeth asked

In her eagerness to do something nice for Neal, Sara feared Elizabeth might go overboard – after all, El had an undisputed talent for planning big parties and Sara didn't want any of this to end up being to Neal's detriment.

'And I get to have a say?' Sara asked. She wasn't about to have El host a dinner only to have Neal feeling worse about things than before he got there.

El smiled and sighed, realizing that she might be getting a little carried away. '... and you can definitely have the final word'

Sara grinned, satisfied. 'Alright, I'm in'

WCWCWC

By nine thirty, Marnie James started to make noises about getting ready to leave the apartment. They'd had a couple of drinks and Neal was feeling a little more relaxed although he couldn't help but wonder how the evening was going to play out. Marnie was looking keyed up and energized with just a touch of trepidation and Neal instantly recognized the look of exhilaration on her face. After all, he'd felt that way every single time he'd pulled a heist or a con in his long colorful career. The high you felt led to a false sense of infallibility and it was a very dangerous feeling – it made you do things you wouldn't normally do and take chances you wouldn't normally take.

Neal continued playing his role as the talented forger who was being reluctantly dragged along on the heist and the siblings had no reason to think otherwise. He hoped Peter had picked up on his reference to the takedown at the Scaramouche. Neither one of them had suspected the James' duo of being anything more than small time opportunists but the fact that Scott James was carrying a gun made the operation a whole lot more dangerous. Having a gun in your hands and suddenly feeling trapped was a deadly combination and during takedowns, things happened fast and when guns were involved, things could quickly turn deadly. His thoughts briefly returned to Sara as he recalled how she'd warned him to be extra careful; of course, he'd poo-pooed her concern at the time but now, he was looking forward to having this little caper behind them so he could go home to her.

Marnie was volatile but Neal's unease was focussed on Scott; he was a dark, brooding sort of guy who didn't take well to being challenged – and to top it off, he was armed. Neal would have to keep a close eye on him and make sure he didn't find himself facing down the barrel of a gun by the time Peter and the team finally made their move.

'Time to go' Marnie announced

WCWCWC

Peter sat with five other agents in the van, waiting for the show to begin. They were about a block away from the museum, in the opposite direction from which the thieves would likely be coming. He had a couple of unmarked cars parked closer to the museum; sadly, that was the only communication they would have with what was likely happening inside. Peter mentally kicked himself again for not having insisted that Neal wear a listening device; without his tracker, they didn't even know where Neal was and he worried that his CI might have been found out and was being dragged at gunpoint.

'Peter, we have a visual' he heard crackling in his headphones as he exchanged looks with Diana

'Car stopped a few feet from the back entrance of the museum. People are getting out' Jones continued

'How many?' Peter asked

'Caffrey and a man and a woman' he responded

'Is Caffrey being led at gunpoint?' Peter asked, anxious

'No, he's walking along with them towards the staff entrance of the museum' Jones continued

Peter let out a sigh of relief. If Neal was walking along without a gun pointed at him, it likely meant his cover hadn't been blown and although they might be suspicious of him, he was not perceived as a imminent threat to the theft.

'Alright, keep an eye on them. We're moving in' Peter said as he signaled everyone to get going

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The street lights were dim and the moon unaccounted for on this cloudy November evening. The street leading to the staff entrance of the Museum of Modern Art was eerily silent; after all, it _was_ past 10:00. Nevertheless, Neal immediately spotted the unmarked Bureau car parked a few feet away and glanced briefly at it, wondering which members of Peter's team were lurking behind the tinted glass.

He noticed that Marnie was uncharacteristically quiet, focussed and 'in the zone'; she didn't seem to be paying much attention to her surroundings. Neal could certainly relate; in the last few moments before a heist, his senses were always heightened, every inch of his body alive and pulsating as he prepared to carry out some skillfully designed plan he'd carefully concocted. He glanced over at Scott who was clearly twitchy but not in that exhilarating way he surmised Marnie was feeling - just in that tense 'let's get this damn thing over with' way that Neal never could understand. Carrying out a heist was like performing an intricate piece of music or a beautiful and complex ballet; so many components coming together in perfect synch and if you got it just right, the feeling of exhilaration was unfathomable and its allure hard to resist.

They moved at a good clip, Neal carrying the forged painting in his hand and within seconds, they were standing by the back door of the museum. Neal and Marnie exchanged knowing looks.

'You want to do the honors?' she asked giving him a head nod towards the door. Neal gave her a naughty 'Nick Halden' smile before reaching into his pocket for his trusty lock pick set, making quick work of the lock and, reaching for the door handle, he pulled it open without effort to the sound of silence.

WCWCWC

'They just stepped inside, Peter' Jones voice announced over the walkie-talkie

'We're on our way' Peter responded as the van took off to join the rest of the crew

Their best bet was to wait until the thieves stepped outside the museum with the painting, catching them red-handed, Peter had concluded. Following them into the museum made things messy and might put Neal at risk of getting hurt. If he _was_ suspected of being in on the takedown, the siblings could turn on him at any moment and any noise Peter and his team might make going in would resonate in the empty building and give advance warning of their arrival. This way, they could be lying in wait as they came out – no fuss, no muss.

Or so he hoped.

WCWCWC

Elizabeth and Sara sat in the Burke living room watching the end of some Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan romantic comedy. Whenever the couples got together, the women (and Neal) were forced to compromise on their movie choice, Peter predictably more interested in adventure and action movies. It was a welcome change not to have to argue about what movie they were going to watch and although Sara had never been much of a 'chick flic' kind of girl, she gladly agreed to El's pick and sat back to enjoy the film. Having Elizabeth nearby was comforting and it certainly beat sitting at home worrying about Neal; although this one looked like a textbook takedown, there was no telling what could happen when Neal was involved.

She wasn't sure exactly when it started to happen but Sara suddenly found herself getting emotionally invested in the convoluted plot twists and she sat wiping her eyes as the on screen couple reunited, wondering when the hell she'd turned into this whimpering, sappy girlie-girl. Pregnancy was doing weird things to her body and more importantly, to her emotions. Sara had never been much of a cryer – Neal was much more likely to get emotional when he let down his defenses – but lately, she'd had very little control over her emotions which was very disconcerting for the usually level-headed young woman.

She'd begun to cry uncontrollably in the middle of mind-blowing sex the week before, something that Neal had found rather unnerving to say the least. 'I'm fine' she'd blubbered at a most inopportune moment as Neal had pulled back, uncertain what to do. 'Don't stop' she'd added and Neal had suddenly lost his fervour, instantly breaking the mood. To Sara's chagrin, those moments of total loss of control were happening more and more and she had no idea how to stop them from happening.

She let out a loud sob and Elizabeth turned towards her on the couch, handing her the box of tissues.

'Are you okay?' she asked with concern as she witnessed the very un-Sara like behavior

'I'm fine' she whimpered very unconvincingly 'I just can't control myself lately'

'It's okay' El said, touching her hand 'It's hormones; it happens to everyone'

'It doesn't happen to me' Sara continued, her voice barely recognizable as she continued to sob loudly

Truth be told, it was endearing to know that someone as headstrong and feisty as Sara could lose it over some predictable Hollywood fabrication. Elizabeth smiled to herself and squeezed Sara's hand.

WCWCWC

The place was perfectly quiet as the trio made their way down the now familiar hallway towards the prep room. Neal had been working at the museum for over a week now and he was familiar with the room and its contents. He knew exactly where to find the Morillo since he'd been the last to work on it that afternoon – just before everyone had headed home for the weekend. He'd been responsible for cleaning it and placing it in the frame provided by the museum as they prepared to move the painting to the exhibition hall the next day. He'd taken his sweet time admiring it, now that he'd become familiar with the painting, and he couldn't help comparing it to the 'Neal Caffrey' version, secretly praising himself for work well done. It sat exactly where he'd left it and Neal and Marnie walked over to the painting as Scott looked around suspiciously. He'd been inside the room a few times on their previous nocturnal visits but he was anxious to poke around and see what other treasures they might target for their next heist.

'Scott, get your head in the game' Marnie whispered, asserting herself once again as the brains behind the operation

'Help us get it out of the frame' she continued as she and Neal began to pry the canvas from its casing

Knowing the duo was headed back to steal it, Neal had purposefully left it unfastened – no point in risking damage to a beautiful work of art – and Marnie smiled at him in the semi-dark room as she noticed what he'd done.

The two of them made quick work of taking the original out of its frame and Neal got to work replacing it with his version while Marnie proceeded to wrap the original in the craft paper the forgery had been hidden in moments before.

'Hurry up' Scott barked at them while he continued to survey the place

'We should work on getting _this one_ next' he added as he pointed to a bright blue carving that lay nearby

'Good luck finding someone who can forge that in a few days' Neal said, under his breath as Marnie smiled in response

It took less than five minutes for the switch to be completed and Neal and Marnie prepared to leave with Scott bringing up the rear, his gun now in his hand, to Neal's chagrin. This unplanned little foray into his previous life had been fun, albeit totally unexpected, and Neal had to remind himself that they were about to be apprehended - and that he was on the 'law and order' side of the equation.

'The alarm!' Marnie whispered as she handed the painting to Neal

She made quick work of entering her security code in order to reactivate the alarm and the trio stepped out into the night, their mission complete. Marnie's moment of elation was short-lived, however, as she became aware that there was considerably more activity on the street than when they'd entered the building.

The words 'Hold it! FBI' spilled out onto the quiet street as Marnie let out a yelp and dropped the coveted painting, her hands instinctively going up in the air as she spotted the federal agents surrounding them with their guns drawn. Scott James turned to look at Neal, noticing a fleeting look of satisfaction in his eyes and before he could even validate his suspicions, he turned towards the CI and, using the grip of his gun, he proceeded to smash Neal squarely in the face.

'You son of a bitch!' he yelled as he administered the pistol whipping

Neal was totally taken by surprise, and having no time to protect himself, he felt the blunt instrument strike him right under the eye and he struggled to stay upright, failing miserably as he tumbled inelegantly to the pavement.

'Freeze!' Jones yelled at the gun totting thief as he moved in with five other agents, circling the culprits

Marnie stood motionless with her hands up and within seconds, Jones and another of the agents swept in to disarm Scott James just as Diana appeared out of nowhere with a pair of handcuffs. Peter made a move towards Neal who was struggling to get to his feet, his hand stroking his cheek, obviously still in shock. Marnie was cuffed and based on what had just happened, there seemed to be no point in going through the motions of handcuffing Neal and bringing him in along with the siblings. Instead, Peter made his way to where Neal was swaying, his legs unsteady.

'You okay?' Peter asked taking Neal's arm to steady him

'Yeah' he managed to say as a huge welt immediately began to appear on his face

Neal looked down at his hand, surprised to find that he wasn't bleeding; the attack, however, had been enough to cause an incessant ringing in his ears and his head was swimming as he struggled to stay upright. Peter took his arm and lead him back to one of the waiting cars.

'Take them back to the Bureau' he barked at Jones and Diana who were busy putting Marnie and Scott James' sorry asses in the back of another car 'We'll meet you back at the office'

WCWCWC

Elizabeth looked over at Sara, head back against the couch, lightly snoring – another glimpse into the wonderful world of 'pregnant Sara Ellis'. The movie had ended over two hours ago, the local newscast was over and so were the late night talk shows. El glanced down at Satchmo who was sound asleep at her feet and yawned as she wondered about the best course of action, finally making up her mind and touching Sara's arm gently.

'Sara' she whispered as her friend came to, opening one eye

'Do you want to come upstairs and lay down in the guest room?' she asked 'You're going to kill your neck sitting like that'

Sara sat up, already feeling that predictable kink in her neck and rubbing it absent mindedly.

'What time is it?' she asked, groggy

'Twelve thirty' El admitted, trying to keep the worry out of her voice

'They should have been home by now' Sara said, echoing Elizabeth's sentiment

'You know what it's like; they... they have to bring them into the Bureau and question them' El said, although she wasn't quite believing the words herself

'So? Do you want to come upstairs?' El repeated

'No, I'm good. It won't be much longer. Right?' Sara added needing some reassurance

As if she'd willed it, the phone began to ring in the quiet Burke house and Elizabeth reached over to grab it on the nearby side table. At last, some news.

'Hello?' she said as her eyes met Sara's

'Hi hon' came the familiar, reassuring voice

'Honey, hi. We were starting to worry' El admitted as much to her husband as to herself

'We're just finishing up here' Peter said although Elizabeth could tell something was being left unsaid

'And...' she said, prompting him

'Well... Neal had a... a bit of a mishap' he answered cryptically

'O-kay' El said not wanting to repeat what she'd just heard lest Sara become upset

Sara sat up straight, anxious to hear what was going on.

'It's nothing serious. He was... pistol whipped' Peter finally admitted 'But he's going to be fine' he hastened to add although this latest bit of information did not seem to be having the desired effect

'We're going to have him checked out before we head back home' he added, matter of factly

'What is it?' Sara finally asked, unable to hold back any longer

Elizabeth covered the mouthpiece and relayed the information Peter had just shared, downplaying the pistol whipping and playing up the fact that Neal was going to be fine.

'I need to go. What hospital are they at?' Sara said standing up a little unsteadily

'Honey, we'll meet you at the hospital. Where are you taking him?' Elizabeth Burke said, the issue obviously not up for discussion

'I really don't think that's necessary, El' Peter was saying, seemingly forgetting who he was talking to

Neal stood beside him, his face mangled, frantically mouthing the words 'No Peter'. The last thing Neal wanted was to have Sara come all the way down to the hospital late at night in her condition; he really needed to give Peter a refresher course on how to frame things, he realized.

'Which hospital?' El repeated, her voice becoming impatient

'Lenox Hill' Peter finally relented as Neal looked on, obviously none too pleased with the fact that Peter had given in so easily

Peter looked over at Neal, a look of resignation in his eyes as the younger man gave him a dirty look.

'I tried' Peter mouthed back

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

'Seriously, Peter? You had to use the words 'pistol whipped'?' Neal said for the third time as they sat side by side in the emergency room of Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan

Peter looked sideways at his CI, realizing his face was now totally distended and his eye practically swollen shut. 'It's... years of... FBI work' he answered meekly trying to keep Neal focussed

Neal attempted an eye roll which was much too painful and he had to settle for showing his annoyance by giving Peter a definitive head shake and an audible tsk.

'Marnie looked awfully disappointed when she found out you were working for us' Peter said, more than happy to change the subject 'I think she recognized a kindred spirit'

Neal shrugged. Right now, all he wanted was some pain relief; his head was still pounding relentlessly and the ringing in his ears had yet to subside. As a matter of fact, he was having trouble recalling what exactly had happened and he kept replaying the events leading up to the break-in in his muddled mind, trying to remember what had brought him here to the emergency room in the first place.

'But I think most of all, she was relieved to find out we weren't really a couple' Peter added, trying to make light of the situation

It wasn't like Neal not to have a witty comeback and Peter glanced over at him, noticing his partner was beginning to droop and seemed to be having trouble keeping his eyes open.

'Neal' Peter said as he shook his arm lightly

'How come I can't remember what happened?' Neal responded as the confusion returned unbidden in his jumbled mind

Peter had seen enough concussions in his lifetime to recognize the symptoms and he put a reassuring arm around Neal's shoulders to comfort him.

Suddenly, the door to the busy emergency room opened with a swish and the women appeared, making their way to where the boys sat. El took the seat next to Peter and Sara practically tripped over her feet to make it to the other side next to Neal as she took in the sight of his mangled face, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. She'd worked hard on the car ride over to persuade herself to stay calm and try not to overreact; she knew how much Neal hated being doted on but the moment she saw him, tears began to form and she gently placed her hand on the back of his head, caressing his hair, not daring to touch his face. He looked like he'd gone three rounds with George Foreman and he lifted his face to look at her, forcing a smile.

'Oh my God' she uttered as she bit her lip

'I'm fine' Neal responded most unconvincingly as he looked at his girlfriend's worried face

This is exactly what he'd been trying to avoid; Sara wasn't normally what you'd call 'maternal' but lately, with those pregnancy hormones coursing through her body, she'd become an emotional time bomb and almost anything could set her off. She continued staring at Neal, taking in the swollen welt on his cheek right under his left eye which was now extending all the way up to his eye lid, forcing his eye shut. The skin was distended but hadn't broken and she wondered in passing what was more dangerous, a cut or a monstrously swollen face. Neal looked at her with a mixture of reassurance and 'little boy lost' – a most unnerving combination she wasn't sure what to make of.

'I'm pretty sure he has a concussion' Peter said in order to explain the uncommunicative way Neal was staring at her

Sara let her arm reach all the way around him and Neal finally gave in and dropped his head on her shoulder, feeling the comforting warmth of her body. Peter and El looked on, exchanging worried looks. It wasn't often they'd seen the great Neal Caffrey melt into someone's touch and Peter guessed it was a combination of being concussed and the earnest look Sara had just given him - which would make just about anybody melt.

'Why is it taking so long?' Sara asked as she held Neal against her and glanced around the busy waiting room

'We've only been here fifteen minutes' answered Peter as Elizabeth looked on 'They said it wouldn't be very long'

'Not very long' turned into twenty more minutes and Sara and Peter took turns jostling Neal so he wouldn't fall asleep before he could be properly examined and assessed by the ER doctor. After a hastily arranged CT scan and a thorough examination, the doctor declared Neal well enough to go home and discharged him with instructions on how to care for his injury along with some pain medication and a list of things to look for as he recovered from his concussion.

The couples parted ways and began their trek home separately, Sara reassuring Peter that she was on watch and would take good care of Neal. After years of being the only one answerable for Neal's welfare, it was strange for Peter to realize that he now shared that dubious honor with Sara and he watched with trepidation as he and Elizabeth put the two of them into a cab before heading back to Brooklyn.

Upon arrival on Riverside Drive, Sara struggled with getting Neal out of the cab and up the steps to the house. She wondered what she'd been thinking when she'd told Peter they would be fine on their own. Neal was practically dead weight, letting Sara pull him along while continuing to insist he was just fine. The commotion brought June out from the back of the house, dazed and confused from a deep sleep.

'What happened?' she asked as she saw the state of Neal, barely recognizable but with a dazed smile on his face

'Hi June' he said, his words slurred

'He was injured in a takedown, someone decided to take the butt of their gun and slam it in his face' Sara said in her no-nonsense way

'I'm fiiine' Neal stated emphatically, his arm slung loosely over Sara's shoulder

June glanced at Sara as the young woman gave her a stern head shake and eye roll; he was definitely not 'fine'.

'Let me give you a hand' June said as she moved to stand on the other side of Neal

His legs were cooperative but very slow and uncoordinated and it took a good fifteen minutes to get him safely all the way up to the third floor apartment. Neal kept stopping and gazing fondly at one or the other of the women on either side of him, commenting on how much he loved them and appreciated their help.

'June, you're the best' he said as he stared lovingly in her eyes only to stop three steps later and turn to Sara with an uncharacteristic 'Sweetheart, I love you' before continuing on for a few more steps - only to stop again with a few additional choice terms of endearment. It was all very sweet if it hadn't been so treacherous for a 75 year old woman and a pregnant lady to be dragging a drug-relaxed 180 pound man up three flights of stairs. They finally arrived at the top of the landing and Sara thanked June for her help, wishing her sweet dreams as she shuffled Neal into the apartment. He'd begun to sing softly – again, real cute if he would just cooperate and let her put him to bed, Sara thought.

She finally got him over to the bed and began undressing him as Neal looked up lovingly at her.

'You're gonna be a _great_ mom' Neal said languidly as he ran his hand lovingly over her cheek

Sara smiled despite the nagging worry at seeing him this way and she wondered not for the first time how Neal seemingly always managed to get himself into these situations.

'Oh, Neal!' she said – what else could she say

'Our little baby is coming soon' Neal said his voice melodic, almost like a song

'Yes, he is' Sara said as she smiled back at her loopy boyfriend and proceeded to take off his shoes and socks

'Or _sheee_ ' he slurred as he struggled to sit up so Sara could remove his shirt 'I think it's a _girl_ ' he added, his eyes heavy lidded

He was starting to fade and Sara just wanted to get him settled into bed before he turned into total dead weight.

'Oh yeah?' she answered as she continued removing his clothes

'Yeah' Neal declared 'A beautiful little girl... she'll look just like _you_ ' he said, attempting to sit up to kiss Sara

'Alright, Romeo. Time to take the second half of your medication and say goodnight' she said as she attempted to stand from the edge of the bed. Neal held her arm, forcing her to stay; seemingly he wasn't done cooing just yet.

'Do you have _any_ idea just how much I love you Sara Ellis?' he asked rhetorically, a crooked smile on his face

'I love you too, sweetie' she said warmly as she ran her hand through his hair and leaned in to kiss his forehead

The small gesture seemed to calm him and by the time she returned with a glass of water and his second pill, she had to rouse him briefly before he fell back to sleep, seemingly no worse for wear. She sat for a very long time, staring at him, as always trying to figure out the enigma that was Neal Caffrey: the strong, sexy, confident man who melted into this pile of pure emotional gobbledygook at the drop of a hat. She sighed deeply; this was _exactly_ why she loved him, for all those inexplicable contradictions and so much more.

After a long while, she lay down beside him and tried to get some shut-eye. He might need her during the night and she needed her rest too if she was going to be any good to him. Her mind wandered to the following day, Saturday. It was the day of the commendation dinner and she wondered if Neal had truly made peace with that whole situation. She'd been toying with the idea of preparing a special dinner for him to try to keep his mind off things. She'd even enlisted help from some of June's staff who'd gone out to purchase everything she'd need to prepare his famous linguine with clam sauce. She'd see how things were in the morning before deciding whether or not to go ahead with the plan.

She tried to imagine Neal at the commendation dinner – a bona fide FBI agent just like Peter Burke but she instantly pushed away the thought. Neal had his _own_ path to follow and with any luck, she would be along for the ride now that their fates were intertwined due to the impending arrival of their son or daughter, linking their futures... somehow. She'd never given much thought to their life as a couple after the baby's arrival but now she wondered what the future held for her and Neal. They'd committed to raising this baby together but there'd never been any talk of a long term commitment for them and now she was having trouble imagining any kind of future without Neal by her side. She'd never dared to dream about a life shared with someone else, least of all someone like Neal Caffrey and yet... it was now impossible to imagine the future without him.

Sara slept fitfully, aware of every movement Neal made, watching for symptoms from his concussion. She dreamt of a shared life in suburbia with two great kids and a big golden dog and with Neal doing un-Caffrey-like things like gardening and decorating their house with Christmas lights. The strangest part of the dream was the feeling of wellbeing that enveloped her in such an unfamiliar setting – so far removed from her busy work life in New York, the only future she'd ever dared to envision.

She woke with a start on Saturday morning noting that Neal was still sleeping peacefully; despite his barely recognizable face, he seemed calm and serene and she wondered what kind of dreams _he_ might be having.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Sara came out of the bathroom, still dripping wet from her shower and she made her way back to the main room, fully expecting to find Neal still snoozing peacefully; after the night he'd had, he deserved a break. Instead, she found him sitting at the kitchen table staring into his cup of coffee, still looking dreadfully rough around the edges. The inflammation had gone down quite a bit and his eye was no longer swollen shut but an unsightly dark bruise was beginning to form down the whole side of his face, a very jarring sight indeed.

'Neal!' Sara exclaimed as she spotted him sitting there 'What are you doing up?'

He glanced up at her, forcing his eye open all the way, trying to look like it was business as usual.

'I want to go in for the debrief at noon' he mumbled, sounding rough

'What are you talking about? You can't go into the office like that!' she said as she made her way over, standing next to him and gently touching his hair

'Sara, don't!' he said as he shooed her hand away, instantly seeing the hurt in her eyes

'Look, I'm fine' he said, regretting the harsh tone he'd used. It wasn't her fault that he was still in pain and that the damn commendation dinner was going on without him.

He let out a long sigh and grabbed for her arm, gently pulling her onto his lap; he knew she was worried and only wanted what was best for him.

'I know you're just looking out for me but... I'm fine, really' Neal lied in the not so charming way he had of downplaying things he didn't want to talk about

He watched as Sara's face darkened and for a moment, he was afraid she was going to start crying. That was the last thing he needed so he forced himself to smile up at her as she sat there, staring at him with her face twisted up in worry.

'It looks worse than it feels' he added; the more he lied, the easier it got

She brought her hand back up to touch the right side of his face – the unmangled one – and this time, as her hand lingered, Neal could feel his mask slipping away as he let down his guard, suddenly feeling the need to come clean. She had an uncanny way of getting him to open up and, damn it, he couldn't resist sharing what was on his mind when she looked at him _that_ way.

'Alright, I admit it. It hurts like hell' he said with a quirky smile, making her smile in the process

'But I want to go in to work like everybody else, I want to see this case through to the end' he added

Sara could see there was something else, right under the surface and she waited for him to go on, having learned that waiting patiently was the best way to get anything out of Neal Caffrey.

'... and tonight's the commendation dinner... I don't want anybody to think I'm angry because I wasn't invited' he finally admitted

'Are you? Angry?' she asked, pushing just enough to keep him talking

'No!' he answered, a little too quickly 'Well, not angry exactly... maybe a little... hurt... disappointed, that's all'

'And you have every right to be' Sara answered as she continued to stare into his eyes, undaunted by the spectacular bruise staring back at her

After a moment, she could sense that she wasn't going to get anything more out of him as Neal grew quiet once more. She was right; Neal seemed to snap out of his reflective mood and return to action mode.

'Look, I'm gonna go take a shower... try to feel human again and I'll go in and finish the job I started' he said, staring into her eyes almost as if he was asking permission to do just that

'Neal, you're a 36 year old man. You can do whatever you like; I'm not your mother. But, I _do_ love you' she said, her voice low 'and I'm not going anywhere for the foreseeable future' she continued, pointing to her belly and eliciting a small grin from Neal 'so you're just going to have to get used to having someone around who cares about what happens to you'

Neal's smile grew broader despite the obvious pain the movement elicited and he pulled Sara in for a small kiss.

'Ditto' he said with a grin

WCWCWC

The mood in the White Collar offices on the day following a takedown was always a little unusual; a combination of muted exuberance and all-out relief. The team assembled in the conference room where everyone shared their take on the events of the night before, making sure there was consensus on how things had gone down and Peter proceeded to assign report writing duties to the junior agents.

Neal sat through the meeting as he always did, contributing to the discussion, making the odd off-the-cuff remark that always got everyone laughing and just generally being his laid-back, arrogant self. Peter could sense that underneath Neal's veneer was something more; he was obviously still in pain from the hit he'd taken to the face and it wasn't lost on anyone that on the very day of the commendation dinner, the hero of the bust was not going to be recognized. A few of the staff gave Neal a tap on the shoulder as they left with mutterings of 'Great job, Neal' and 'Glad you're okay, Neal' and the room emptied out, finally leaving Peter and Neal alone.

'So... the big dinner tonight?' Neal couldn't help but saying

Perhaps if he made light of it, Peter would stop worrying so much about him not being included.

Peter continued tidying up his papers as he cocked an eyebrow at his CI.

'What? You _are_ going, right?' Neal added

He'd meant what he'd said the other day; as much as he wished he could be there, he sure as hell didn't want anybody else to have to suffer because of the Bureau's stupid decision to exclude him.

'Not sure' Peter said

'Peter, that's crazy' Neal said, standing up to loom over his partner 'You _can't_ do that to the team'

'I can do whatever I want' Peter reminded him

'You know what I mean. Everybody's worked so hard - ' Neal began

'Yeah' Peter interrupted 'Everybody including _you_ '

Neal scoffed. He really _did_ appreciate Peter taking a stand but, as bad as he felt about being excluded, he would feel a hundred times worse if Peter skipped out, leaving everyone high and dry.

'... and I appreciate you standing up for me, Peter, I really do. But, if you don't go, it'll just make things worse. Jones and Diana... they never get to go to these things and Blake... did you see how excited the guy was about getting that award tonight?'

Peter looked at Neal, once again in awe of the ex-con and his big heart. How many times had he judged Neal for being arrogant and overconfident? Underneath all that, was a man with a heart of gold whose selfless, often impulsive actions were dictated by his desire to help those he cared about.

Peter let out a long slow breath and stood to face Neal.

'You really think it's the right thing to do?' Peter asked as he began to falter

'I do, Peter' came his response

Neal waited for a second before going on.

'Please go... for me' he added as he saw the look in Peter's eyes; he was finally getting through to him

He capped the whole plea off with a radiant Caffrey smile although his face hurt like hell when he tried to pull it off. Peter attending the dinner was the right thing to do just as it was the right thing to do for Neal to convince him to go.

WCWCWC

'So, how was Neal today?' Elizabeth asked as she sat applying makeup in the Burke bedroom

'The usual' Peter responded as he sat on the bed watching her '...acting like nothing ever fazes him'

El let out a sympathetic 'awww' followed by a curse as she accidentally smeared some mascara on her cheek.

'Why did he come in to work today, of all days?' she asked

Peter shook his head. 'You know Neal. He wanted to be there for the debrief with everybody else. Luckily, the swelling's started to come down; now, all he's got is a nasty, angry looking bruise'

He took out the index cards from the coat pocket of his tuxedo as he spoke and absent-mindedly glanced at them once again.

'Honey, you've been looking at those all afternoon. You'll be fine' she said dismissively as Peter stuffed them back in his pocket without even looking at them

'I just want to do this right. It's a big deal for everybody' he said as his mind wandered back to Neal, unjustly deprived of sharing the limelight with the rest of his hard-working team

El could see her husband's pain; Neal, himself, had managed to convince Peter to attend when no one else could and she thought fondly of their friend, realizing it couldn't have been easy for him to take the high road.

'Neal's right you know, this _is_ the right thing to do' she said as she eyed him in the mirror, watching his tormented face. She turned to look at him, a broad smile on her face, as she tried to break the mood.

'Sara gave me the go-ahead for a dinner party to honor Neal' she said, beaming. There was nothing Elizabeth Burke loved more than planning a party for those she loved.

Peter raised his eyebrows suspiciously.

'...as long as I keep it small' El added as she stood to admire herself in the full length mirror

'Oh, honey, you look beautiful' Peter said as he joined her to check if his bowtie was straight

She looked sadly at his reflection in the mirror.

'I just wish we were sharing tonight with Neal and Sara' she said as Peter nodded in agreement

'I know' he said

He touched her shoulder, urging her to turn and face him 'Now, come on. Our cab'll be here any minute'

WCWCWC

Neal noticed the wonderful, distinctive aromas of garlic and basil the moment he stepped into the house. He began the long jog up the stairs to his apartment, much more agile than he'd been the night before. It was already 6:30 and Sara would be waiting for him to make a start on dinner – or so he'd assumed. He thought back to the strange conversation he'd just had with Mozzie. The man had asked him to come over to one of his safe houses to discuss something or other and after an hour of mindless chatter, Neal had finally left, still wondering what the purpose of his visit had been.

The smells intensified as he got closer and he began to wonder who had broken into his place; this couldn't possibly be Sara's doing, of that he was reasonably sure, considering her disdain for all things domestic.

He opened the door to his apartment to a most unexpected sight: Sara Ellis standing in front of the stove, stirring something that smelled wickedly delicious and welcoming him home with a huge grin on her face – and not much else. His eyes grew wide at the sight of her. The maternity clothes she'd started to wear were meant for the office, classic, tasteful, fitted yet with some wiggle room for her burgeoning belly, nothing like what she was presently wearing. She stood there, barefoot, in the kitchen, wearing a tight fitting dress in a warm candy apple red that hugged every single curve making her look amazingly hot. Although Neal had been with her every day of her pregnancy, delighting in the changes to her body as her breasts got fuller and her stomach continued to expand, in this moment, with that sexy outfit on, it was as if he was seeing her pregnant for the very first time.

Her body was so different from the one he'd known in the past, none of those angles or sharp edges he'd learned to love over the years - just soft, warm, welcoming curves and his jaw dropped as he continued to stare in amazement. Her breasts, which had never been particularly large, spilled out of the cleavage of the dress and her long, endless legs were on full display in the short little number.

'Caffrey?' she said, snapping her fingers to bring him back to reality

'Wow!' he exclaimed as his eyes continued to linger up and down her body in some lewd very un-Caffrey like way

'You like it?' she asked as she turned on herself to help him appreciate the view

'Like it? You look...' he began, at a loss for words

'Amazing?' she said, hopeful that she'd hit a home run

'Hot' he responded breathlessly, as he made his way to stand next to her, lacing his arms around her waist and feeling the amazing fullness of her warm belly against his body.

He was instantly turned on but he kept the kiss he gave her on the virtuous side of predatory and he forced himself to look at what she was concocting on the stove top.

'If I didn't know better, I would say that's my world famous clam sauce' he said, leaning in to take a whiff without removing his arms from her waist

'Well, I don't know if it will be up to your standards... but...' she said as she tried to wriggle out of his firm grasp, something Neal was not conceding in the least

'What's this all about?' he asked playfully as he returned his gaze on her

Now that his eye was no longer swollen shut, he had begun to look a little more like himself and he'd already begun to wean himself off the heavy duty meds so he could go in to work and not act like a total fool (as he was known to do when he was high on narcotics). Despite the obvious pain, he smiled at her, happy to find this warm, loving woman waiting for him, barefoot and pregnant in his kitchen.

She just smiled knowingly at him, keeping him guessing as to her motives.

'So I take it, _you_ were that mysterious call Mozzie took just before I left' he said, finally putting two and two together

'I just wanted to surprise you' she responded, looking like the cat who swallowed the canary

With effort, she finally pulled herself out of Neal's grasp, anxious to get back to preparing dinner. She was a rookie at this and she sure as hell didn't want to burn anything.

'Can I help?' Neal asked, anxious to be of service

'You can get yourself a glass of that wonderful Pinot Grigio I picked up for you... and you can sit down and keep leering at me like you've been doing since you walked in' she said, her voice full of mischief

Neal reluctantly pulled away and grabbed the unopened bottle and the cork screw, getting to work, just as the lady had asked. Since she'd gotten pregnant, he'd kept wine drinking to a minimum. It seemed like the least he could do when _she_ had to refrain from imbibing and although he enjoyed the occasional glass of wine, supporting Sara was more important than having a drink – any day of the week.

'You know, I would have been just as happy with mineral water' he said as he finished opening up the bottle

'Are you kidding? Why should you deprive yourself just because I can't have any' she said 'Believe me, if I could, I'd be indulging too'

He smiled obligingly and took a look sip of the wonderful vintage.

'Great choice!' he said as he placed his glass on the table and returned his idle hands to Sara's body, making his intentions clear

'Neal!' she admonished 'Believe me, I will make it worth your while if you stop pawing me long enough for me to get dinner on the table' she said languidly which made the whole ripping himself away from her all the more difficult

He let out an impatient sigh. He knew exactly what she was doing – it was no coincidence that she'd suddenly decided to cook one of his favorite meals on the very night of the Bureau's commendation dinner. It was a welcome distraction and he thought again of all the new and wonderful things he was discovering about this incredible woman. He returned to the table and settled down in front of his glass of wine as his eyes lingered over her body. All of a sudden, the disappointment of not being at the commendation dinner began to fade as he thought of the wonderful evening his beautiful girlfriend had planned for them.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The ballroom of the Baccarat Hotel was pulsating with energy as people chatted away in small groups, the best and the brightest of the Bureau milling about, wanting to see and be seen. Hollywood might have the Oscars but the commendation dinner was the epitome of self-indulgence for the FBI crowd and people had flown in from all over for the special night which only happened once a year.

Of course, the field offices each held their own staff appreciation dinners where they recognized the contributions of their staff, from the janitor to the ASAC, but the commendation dinner was the big leagues and except for the team that was being honored, it was reserved for the Bureau's top brass. Diana and Jones looked around, visibly impressed, as they took in the many faces of the bigwigs they knew only by name. In all their years working for the Bureau, they had never been to one of these shindigs.

'Look, there's the Assistant Deputy Director!' Diana said to Jones as she attempted to sound nonchalant

Standing around in a gown with a champagne flute in her hand wasn't an everyday occurrence for the agent and she glanced around, somewhat star struck by the who's who of the Bureau mingling nearby. Peter smiled at his underling; he wasn't as easily impressed by rank and titles - and besides, as a Special Agent, he was included in the festivities every year.

'Peter!' a female voice called out as El and Peter stood chatting with the group

'Kimberly!' Peter responded as he turned to face the agent who had once been a thorn in his side

'You remember everybody, don't you?' he asked as he pointed to the assembled members of his team

'Sure, hi everyone!' she said, her voice friendly

'And this is my wife, Elizabeth. Honey, this is Agent Kimberly Rice from Kidnapping and Missing Persons' Peter said

'Nice to meet you' El said, her voice neutral although she remembered all too well what this woman had put Neal through on the Gless case, putting his life in danger so she could get a gold star and crack the case.

'Congratulations on your award, Burke' Rice continued as she looked around at all the smiling faces 'I just want to say, I think those idiots in Washington are crazy to have excluded Caffrey from coming' she added as she lowered her voice

Peter looked at the woman with a smile. She had a reputation for being cunning and ruthless, a badass, and during the Gless case, she had sold Neal out as ransom - something she had lived to regret when she'd been called out for it by Reese Hughes. By the time the case had wrapped up, however, she had gained a new appreciation for Neal and the lengths he'd gone to in order to get the job done and to her credit, she'd actually apologized to him for her earlier behavior.

'Thanks' Peter responded as they heard a small commotion up on the podium

The Deputy Director was standing at the microphone, trying to get everyone's attention as the guests slowly began to find their tables.

The White Collar team took their places, right near the front; they were going to be called up to the stage at some point during the evening and they all eagerly sat down to enjoy dinner and wait for the show to begin.

WCWCWC

Neal pushed his chair away from the table, his body relaxed and feeling perfectly satiated and content. He rarely overindulged, be it with food or alcohol, but having a wonderful meal served alongside an excellent bottle of Pinot Grigio had lowered his defenses and had resulted in an uncharacteristic lack of self-control. The bottle sat on the table, almost empty and coupled with the mild pain killers he'd been taking, it had served to mellow him out completely. Well, not _completely_ , he still planned on moving in voraciously on Sara the minute she gave him the signal – or before, if she didn't hurry up and _give_ him the damn signal.

As had been the case all evening, she was a step ahead of him. She gazed at him from across the table, her bare foot lingering up and down his leg in a provocative invitation for him to go ahead and cut loose. She loved seeing Neal like this, relaxed, laid-back, without a care in the world. She mentally congratulated herself on planning a nice evening for him after what he'd been through the night before and in lieu of what was rightly his – an evening celebrating with the rest of the White Collar team.

He watched, his eyes hooded, as she finally stood and silently slithered to his side of the table. Throughout dinner, the pain in his face had faded to a dull ache as the Pinot had begun to work its magic and he'd started to focus his attention on his increasingly insistent state of arousal. He wouldn't be held responsible for his actions if Sara didn't stop cavorting around the apartment in that hot little number, making googoo eyes at him. He waited patiently in anticipation of her next move, still hanging on to a few measly shreds of self-control – even though they were fading fast. She stopped directly in front of him and watched as his smoldering eyes travelled up and down her body; he licked his lips and bit down hard on his lower lip, willing himself not to make a move - yet. Letting her eyes drop suggestively below his waist, she smirked as she took in his unmistakeable state of arousal – men were cursed with giving themselves away - as suspected, Neal was barely holding on by a thread.

Neal closed his eyes and took a deep breath in a last ditch effort to control his primal instincts; this little game was way too much fun to be rushed and when he opened his eyes again, he watched Sara take one last step towards him as she finally reached him, straddling his legs and his arms instinctively reached out to pull her in close.

Sara stared intensely at him and he could tell she was having fun with their little game of cat and mouse, as always, seeing which one of them would be the first to falter. She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on his forehead, then on each of his eyelids, taking care to let her lips just barely graze his wounded eye. She could see his lips curling up into a sensuous smile; he was enjoying the chase but she knew that he could self-combust at any moment; his defenses were down and she could feel his arms growing tighter around her waist as she brought her lips down to gently kiss his.

But 'gentle' wasn't quite what Neal had in mind apparently and suddenly, his arms moved with lightning speed towards the opening of her dress as his lips slammed into hers. He'd been studying the dress all night, noticing how it was fastened to Sara's body and it had taken him all of two seconds to detect that it was his very favorite kind of dress, the kind that came undone with one single tug of the wraparound tie. Once again, Sara was a millisecond ahead of him and, as his hand moved to the front of the dress, he found hers already there, pulling on the tie as the short little number suddenly fell open, revealing every inch of her spectacular body. He chuckled at the realization that she'd been prancing around commando all evening and except for the tiniest little push up bra he'd ever laid eyes on, she was totally and gloriously naked.

Neal let out a shivering breath, sensing the perfect storm of arousal and total abandon thanks to the excellent wine and the remnants of the over the counter meds still coursing through his system. He was mellow... soooo mellow but not _too_ mellow to give Sara what she needed and to show her what he wanted. In a swift, decisive motion, he pushed Sara's dress off her shoulders and watched as it wafted softly to the ground. He slowly and deliberately brought his mouth to her breasts, using his teeth to move that cute little bra out of his way, luxuriating in her round curves, teeth insistently biting her nipples as Sara made a whimpering sound that made him aware, once more, that his pants were much too tight against his burgeoning erection. Despite his resolve, he momentarily faltered and made a few upward thrusting motions before finally willing himself to settle down and enjoy the moment, watching as Sara's head dropped back while he held her tight to keep her from tumbling to the floor.

'You naughty little girl' he murmured under his breath as she let out a throaty laugh

From the sound of his voice and his uneven breathing, Sara could tell he was close to losing control, something she didn't often get the chance to witness; she enjoyed every moment of deconstructing Neal Caffrey, watching him come apart as she continued to play on his every fantasy.

That was the fun part of getting to know a man – figuring out what turned him on, what pushed him over the edge – and she planned to use every single shred of knowledge she'd gathered to give Neal what he needed and wanted. Despite the fact that her mind was clear and focussed on the task at hand, she was just as turned on as he was and when she felt him pushing up against her, she couldn't hold back any longer and she instinctively began to rock back and forth as she threaded her hands roughly through his hair and kissed his mouth hungrily.

Despite her intention to seduce him, she seemed to be losing traction; maybe _she_ would be the one to cry uncle first in this silly little game they played - because, at the moment, she didn't seem to be in control at all.

Neal moved in to place a slow, seductive kiss on her perfectly round baby bump and he began rubbing and stroking it as he let out a long, unsteady breath; he loved her belly, touching in, caressing it, feeling it pressed up against his body...it was such a turn on and he had to close his eyes for a moment to collect himself. Peaking too soon was not an option and he reminded himself that they had all night.

As much as Sara loved the feel of his hands on her, her present state of arousal was getting the best of her and she found herself wishing he'd let his hand wander south just a little as she struggled to keep it together for a little while longer. More than anything, she wanted to see _him_ start to unravel and she opened her eyes to look into his face, noticing him gazing back, his eyes dark and aroused, his breathing erratic. Despite her efforts to slow herself down, she was failing miserably and she felt Neal's arms snake around her waist, his mouth beginning to roam once again.

He made quick work of pulling off the bra, his lips returning to her soft, sensitive breasts, his warm mouth and wandering hands moving from one to the other urgently licking, nipping, biting, his movements frenzied, unable to settle for more than a few seconds at a time and Sara began to writhe against him once again.

'That... that feels...' she moaned as her breath hitched

'Tell me, Sara...' Neal groaned back, his voice hoarse as he buried his face once again

'... Tell me how it feels, baby. Come on... tell me...I want to know' he whispered, his face still firmly between her breasts, teasing with his tongue, his lips, his teeth, coaxing her along.

'Awwww! Awwww! Neal... Neal!' she shouted as she began to move frantically and he smiled in response as he pulled back momentarily to gaze at her face, so tense and so very beautiful.

There was a time when Sara Ellis could have exercised total control over her body and called all the shots but that ship had sailed the moment she'd gotten pregnant. Those pregnancy hormones were always bubbling right underneath the surface and Neal had discovered with delight that Sara could go from 0 to 60 in record time these days - more importantly, he loved the fact that _he_ was the one who could get her there. He continued moaning in her ear, bringing her to the very edge, his voice breathless.

'What do you want, Sara? Tell me...tell me what you want me to do, baby... come on...tell me' he whispered, his mouth moving along her neck and back up to her ear, his warm breath on her overheated skin driving her crazy, his roaming hands everywhere but there - where she desperately needed them to be.

He knew what the sound of his voice did to her in moments like this and he continued taunting her. He was enjoying watching her squirm and shout gibberish as she neared what he suspected would be the first of several orgasms before the night was over. As far as his growing need for release, he could wait a little longer; watching Sara like this was just as gratifying and he watched in wonder as she continued to move against him, the sounds emanating from her lips growing louder and more urgent.

All she needed was a little push and she would come undone in an instant but _she_ was calling the shots and she wanted to prolong the delicious agony a little while longer. Neal wasn't complaining; he loved her like this, coming apart in his arms and he waited for her to let him know she was ready to be pushed over the precipice. It wouldn't be long now, he knew, and sure enough, she stilled for a moment, shivering.

'Dammit, Caffrey. Touch me...now!' she finally managed to shout amongst all the unintelligible babble she'd been spouting

'Is _this_ what you want, baby? Huh? Is it?' he murmured as he finally gave in to her breathless request, letting his hand snake down her beautiful belly and finally settle in between her long lean legs

He watched in utter fascination as she finally exploded, unleashing a very unladylike tirade of expletives; for all her business acumen and usual decorum, Sara could swear like a sailor when she finally lost control and Neal loved her like this, totally guileless and so intense.

'Yeah, there you go... there you go. I got you...I got you' he murmured as he held her tight against him, seeing her through to the very end 'That's my girl'

It was going to be a great night.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

'How was the salmon?' Diana asked as she leaned in closer to Elizabeth so she could talk directly into her ear

The room was buzzing and it was becoming increasingly difficult to have a conversation now that the main course was over and the rattling of dishes could be heard over the constant chatter. People had taken the short break between courses as an opportunity to start mingling once again as old friendships and affiliations were rekindled, often just for one night.

'Good! What about the beef?' El countered

'Best I've had in a long time' Diana answered as her eyes roamed the ballroom in search of familiar faces

They could see Peter mingling in the distance, chatting with some blond woman as people came up to him from time to time with a handshake or a pat on the back.

'Listen, Diana. This whole Neal thing... I thought we'd try to make it right. I was planning on having a dinner for him next weekend. Are you available?' Elizabeth asked

'Yeah, of course' Diana responded with uncharacteristic enthusiasm 'That's a great idea. Do you think Neal will be okay with it, though? It's not exactly the type of attention he likes'

'I think it'll be okay if we keep it small – ' El said before she was interrupted

'Hi Elizabeth' the women heard over their shoulder as a young man swept in to collect their dirty plates

'Jake!' she exclaimed, recognizing the young man she'd hired on a couple of occasions to help with some of her events

'I thought I recognized you from across the room. You look beautiful tonight' he said as he went about his work

'Thank you. Oh, Jake, I have a favor to ask' El said, suddenly remembering her little dilemma

She'd snuck in their tiny video camera in her purse and she'd been wondering how she was going to pull off filming Peter's speech while still being in the moment. It looked like the solution was standing right next to her.

'When you're done serving dessert, can you come and see me?' she asked

'Sure thing' he said as he expertly finished clearing the table of dirty dishes and walked away

'Who's that woman Peter is talking to?' El asked Jones

She'd noticed Peter deep in conversation with the woman for the past few minutes.

'I think she's SSG' Jones responded

'SSG?' El asked, curious

'Special Surveillance Group. Think of it as the 'badass' branch of the Bureau' Diana chimed in, her voice in a loud whisper

The clanging of silverware seemed to subside somewhat and the Deputy Director could be seen stepping up to the microphone urging everyone to return to their tables. Once dessert was served, they'd be presenting the 10 year pins, followed by a few retirement speeches and the team award.

Peter made his way back to Elizabeth's side and took his seat; he looked around at the smiling faces as his team settled in. They were a hard working bunch and they deserved to have this special night – especially Jones and Diana who had been steadfast by his side for going on five years now. They were loyal and trustworthy and in a pinch, they could be counted on to take one for the team in order to get the job done. His mind wandered back to Neal, wondering what he was up to; hopefully, he wasn't moping around at home, feeling sorry for himself. He turned to look at his beautiful wife, realizing once again how lucky he was to have her in his life; he suddenly found himself wishing that Neal would have the same luck someday.

WCWCWC

'So, I guess that one goes to you...' Sara murmured as she and Neal lay in bed

'Naw, I think we should put a moratorium on that silly little game – at least 'til after the baby's born' Neal answered as he held his exhausted girlfriend in his arms

Sara lifted her head to look into his eyes. 'What? You don't think I can hold my own, Caffrey?' she asked, obviously miffed at the insinuation. As in all things, Sara Ellis was terribly competitive.

They'd been playing this silly little game over the past few months – a seduction game – and it was a _lot_ more fun to play than it was to win. As a matter of fact, it was often more fun to lose and be the first to give in; it meant your partner had somehow managed to totally bring down your defenses. Of course, they only played the game every so often – whenever the mood struck – but they'd been having an awful lot of fun trying to 'outseduce' each other and the moment Neal had walked into the apartment earlier that evening, seeing Sara in full 'battle gear', he'd known it was game on.

'I just don't think we're playing on a level playing field' Neal teased as he ran his hand longingly over Sara's belly 'Those pregnancy hormones have messed with your mojo and made you putty in my hands' he laughed as he jostled her

'Oh yeah?' she said as she playfully tried to wriggle out of his grasp 'Is _that_ what you think?'

She didn't try very hard and she settled back down in an instant, luxuriating in the warmth and strength of her boyfriend's loving arms. She was exhausted from their little marathon and now, those amazing endorphins were just coursing through her veins, making her sleepy.

The mood seemed to turn serious and Neal pulled her in a little closer.

'Thanks for tonight' he whispered softly as he kissed her hair 'I had a _great_ time... and it was a wonderful distraction'

'I guess I was pretty obvious, huh?' she asked with a soft laugh

Neal shrugged and grinned.

'Let's just say, I have no illusions that you're going to start cooking like that on a regular basis – or that you're going to start prancing around the apartment in a skimpy little outfit every night of the week' he said softly

For all the frenzied activity they'd just indulged in, the mood was now peaceful and introspective and he could sense Sara slowly beginning to slip away, sleep finally claiming her.

'I love you, Repo' he whispered in the quiet room

'Mmmm' she responded, already half asleep

'Sleep tight' he added as he let out a satisfied sigh

WCWCWC

It was going on ten o'clock, the wonderful crème brûlée blissfully consumed and Peter's team was beginning to get antsy. According to the program, this was it – the moment they'd all been waiting for – and they all sat up a little straighter as they watched the Deputy Director step up to the microphone as he invited the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the New York office, Reese Hughes, to come up and announce the recipients of the 'Team of the Year' award. Peter watched as Reese rose from a nearby table and made his way up to the podium. He was looking older these days, a little more tired, a little more frail and a _lot_ more jaded, and Peter wondered in passing how many more years he'd have the pleasure of working with his friend and mentor.

'Good evening' Reese said as he adjusted the microphone 'Welcome to New York, the city with the best and finest FBI field office in the country' he bellowed to the sounds of a few hoots and hollers from the local crowd, now that everyone in attendance was reasonably well lubricated

'Tonight, it is my pleasure to present the award for 'Team of the Year', an honor which goes to the team which has distinguished itself from all others due to its excellent work ethic and its outstanding results. All of us in this room know that no man is an island and that, especially in our business, you need to stand shoulder to shoulder with your colleagues. They are the ones who have your back when the going gets rough, the ones you can count on to get you out of the mess you suddenly find yourself in, the ones who share your disappointment when things go south and who celebrate with you when you finally bring down another cartel or career criminal. The team who is receiving this award tonight is an exceptional case in point and a demonstration of that very unique camaraderie we all share. I have had the pleasure of seeing their work first hand and I can attest to the fact that they represent all that is good with crime fighting in this country'

The room grew quiet at Reese Hughes' words; they seemed to resonate with everyone present.

'This year, I am proud to announce that this very special honor goes to _my_ white collar crime team, headed by Special Agent Peter Burke. As you know, a team is only as strong as its leader and Peter Burke is the epitome of a great leader: strong, steadfast, loyal, tough when necessary, caring when needed, a man who works collaboratively with others, bringing out the best in those he leads'

The room began applauding again; Peter had a reputation within the Bureau as a straight shooter and everyone who'd crossed his path over the years had learned to appreciate his unfaltering integrity, his dedication and hard work. Elizabeth moved her hand and placed it in Peter's; she was so very proud of him and all he'd accomplished.

'Peter and his team have worked relentlessly to counter white collar crime here in New York City' Reese continued. 'They've dealt successfully with all types of criminal activity from mortgage fraud to money laundering to forgery and theft and they've managed to do it all with the highest closure rate in the country!' he said, his voice culminating in a crescendo

The room erupted in applause as he continued 'An incredible 92% closure rate' he said, his voice loud in order to be heard over the applause

'This is a team of dedicated individuals who have each other's backs, who are innovative in their approach and who take risks in order to get the job done' he continued as he thought briefly of Caffrey- who, he realized, fit that description perfectly

'So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce the head of our white collar division, my friend and colleague, Special Agent Peter Burke' Reese said as the applause grew louder and people began to get on their feet to give Peter a standing ovation

Peter stood and glanced proudly around the table at his team, turning briefly to look at Elizabeth who beamed at his side, applauding enthusiastically. She glanced briefly to the side of the room, noticing Jake standing there, camera in hand, ready to record the proceedings.

Peter took the few short steps to the podium as Reese welcomed him with a firm handshake and a collegial hug. Suddenly, Peter was being handed an award, a large glass object with the names of the members of his team engraved and he took a moment to admire it as the applause continued. He slipped his hand inside his jacket pocket and grabbed for the index cards he'd tucked away there and glanced down at El once more, noting her glowing face and watching as she wiped a tear.

'Thank you. Thank you' he repeated as he waited for calm to return so he could resume his remarks

Reese pulled away discretely, leaving Peter to stand in front of the microphone facing a roomful of colleagues and long-time friends. Peter's long years with the Bureau had led to him having an impeccable reputation; he was known for being 'no nonsense', and telling it as it was and everyone knew he didn't suffer fools gladly. That being said, he was a 'company man' and he had to spout the party line as they all did. Law enforcement was a damn tough career choice and everyone stuck together, through the good and the bad.

Peter looked down at his notes where he had jotted down the names of all those he wanted to thank. Although speaking in front of groups was by no means his favorite thing, it certainly wasn't something he dreaded but he knew emotions would be running high on this particular night and he wanted to make sure he didn't forget to thank each of the bigwigs who had seen fit to honor him and his team.

'I want to start by acknowledging our fine leadership, Mr. Director, Mr. Deputy Director, Mr. Assistant Deputy Director, thank you all for coming to New York for this dinner' he began

He turned towards Reese who had returned to his seat with his wife at his side.

'Reese, you took the words right out of my mouth' Peter said as he looked fondly at his boss '... when you said no man is an island. If my team has been so successful, it is in large part due to the incredible support I've gotten from you and the wiggle room you've always given me whenever I...' he faltered for a moment, having gone off script '... or one of my team comes up with a unorthodox way of tackling a case'

His mind wandered back to Neal as it had been doing all night and he forced himself to concentrate. It was important that he do things right and that he do his team proud, regardless of his disappointment in the way the Bureau had treated Neal. He took a deep breath and continued.

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Peter stood at the podium looking down at the many faces in the audience, most of whom he'd known for over twenty years, some even longer - like Jill Stone who he'd just been chatting with; he'd known her since his days at Quantico. Then, there were the many collaborators from other departments he'd had the pleasure (or the misfortune) of working with on cases over the years, too many to count. His gaze washed over the head honchos' table and for a fleeting moment his eyes met those of his mentor, Philip Kramer. His last encounter with him had been just that: the _last_ encounter he would ever have with him. They hadn't spoken since Neal's escape to the island and Peter had no interest in rekindling that relationship; it had been irreversibly damaged and that was heartbreaking considering the important role the man had played in his life and the unwavering faith he'd had in him over the years.

He shook off the nostalgia and refocused on the smiling faces he'd left behind at his table: his loyal team and his beautiful wife who'd always been at his side. Bolstered by their warm smiles, he glanced down at his notes one last time and charged ahead.

'White Collar has sometimes been the butt of jokes over the years – seen as a junior department' Peter continued 'Nothing exciting ever happens at White Collar' - right! Well, let me tell you that we have our fair share of scary moments... a white collar criminal might be perceived as a non-violent offender but criminals are just as diverse in their way of carrying out their 'jobs' as the rest of us. Some are gentlemen while others can be dangerous and in some cases, downright deadly... and my team has had to face them _all_ over the years and be ready for just about anything. When I first came to White Collar, I expected a lot of long nights of surveillance, listening in as harmless crooks made plans behind closed doors... and there is a fair bit of that, I must admit' he said as the crowd giggled

'But the unpredictability of what we face everyday cannot be underestimated' he continued as he looked down at his notes '... and I have the best team in the country sitting right here at this table. Each and every one of them is dedicated, fearless, smart and most importantly, tireless. When they get hold of something, they don't let go. And that dogged determination is what distinguishes a good team from a _great_ team: that commitment to see things through to the end, regardless of the situation or the risk to one's safety'

The crowd listened, the room silent.

'And sometimes, when all those pieces fall into place, magic happens' he said, feeling emotion rising in his throat.

He swallowed to give himself a few seconds to refocus. Peter loved his team, he loved working with each and every one of those dedicated men and women and he'd managed to cultivate a climate of trust within his ranks, an atmosphere that was the perfect balance between getting the job done and taking care of his people. Although he might be perceived as a taskmaster at times, he never forgot the human side of the equation and if one of the members of his team was struggling with something in their personal life, Peter made it his business to find out and to offer any needed support. That was what made him an exceptional leader.

'And _this_ over here' Peter said looking fondly at the group assembled 'is magic'

Everyone applauded loudly and he watched as Diana let out a loud whistle and Jones stood to clap enthusiastically. Peter put away his notes and smiled broadly at the crowd, basking in the moment.

WCWCWC

Neal pulled himself out of Sara's grasp and silently slipped out of bed. His face was throbbing again now that the wine and the meds he'd taken earlier were out of his system. He took a moment to gaze at Sara's sleeping form; she was dead to the world. For the first time in a long time, he was feeling safe and content and he wondered how things had changed so fast and so dramatically in just a few, short months.

Seven months ago, he'd been in Cape Verde, convinced that he would never return to the people he cared about in New York and now... well, now, he was preparing to become someone's dad, the first time in his life when walking away was _not_ an option. It was scary yet exciting and not for the first time, he looked forward to holding this little human being in his arms – someone who would look up to him for everything from sustenance to love to advice. The thought was mind boggling yet the image of holding his son or daughter in his arms conjured up an overwhelming sense of serenity and well-being... definitely one of the great mysteries of life.

Regardless of her insecurities, Neal knew Sara would be a terrific mom; she was caring and loving... when she got out of her own way and just listened to her inner voice. He realized that, together, they would make a great team. He wondered what the future held for the two of them as a couple. She'd been staying with him since that terrible attack she'd suffered back in August and he was in no hurry to see her leave. They'd finally found a rhythm to their everyday lives and Neal hoped that they could make their living arrangement permanent - although they'd never really discussed it. Maybe he _should_ let her know how he felt about her being around...

He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, stopping to stare at her beautiful face for a moment. He let out a sigh and headed to the bathroom in search of relief for his pounding head.

WCWCWC

Peter had been struggling with his conscience all evening. He knew that mentioning Neal in his remarks would be perceived as a slap in the face by the higher ups. They had made it clear that this commendation dinner was for the inner circle only and that civilians (particularly criminals still serving sentences) had no place in the festivities. Peter waited for the applause to die down and he looked down at the award in his hand as he proceeded to read the names of each and every member of his team to everyone's applause. He invited each member to stand as he called their name and he watched with pride as they smiled broadly for the audience.

Once he'd named everyone, he stopped talking, staring at the trophy. He looked over at El for a brief instant and he thought he saw an imperceptible nod and he took the brief, barely noticeable motion as the sign he'd been waiting for all night.

'You know, looking at the list of names on this beautiful award, I can't help but notice that there is _one_ name that is sorely missing' he began as everyone held their breath

Although it hadn't been stated outright, Peter knew that any remarks about Neal would be unwelcome by the big shots in Wasington. The fact that Reese had requested special dispensation to have Neal attend had made the rounds and everyone seemed to have an opinion on the subject although most of those who were in support of the idea had been very discreet about _expressing_ that opinion. No one wanted to take an unpopular stance with the bigwigs; after all, they controlled everyone's future, including any upcoming assignments and opportunities to climb the ranks within the Bureau.

But once he'd made up his mind, there was no turning back and Peter soldiered on, determined to be true to his principles.

'Three years ago, we added a member to our team. He didn't come through the normal channels, he didn't have an orientation with HR and he sure as hell never set foot in Quantico but he's become a valuable and important member of our team, nonetheless. His name is Neal Caffrey and he's my CI. He came to us, at his initiative I might add, through an early work release program... from Sing Sing'

Peter stopped for a moment to survey the crowd; everyone in the Bureau knew about the ex-con and his legendary contribution to the department's ever increasing closure rate. Neal's arrival had been controversial and the cynics had waited with bated breath for him to step over the line and be sent back to the slammer. But contrary to the dire predictions of the most cynical amongst them, three years later, Neal was still around and the White Collar Unit's closure rate had continued to soar.

Peter could hear a commotion at the DC table; they were probably discussing whether or not to interrupt Peter's remarks - although to do so would undoubtedly make them appear petty and mean spirited. Peter took their silence as permission to continue.

'Neal's contribution to the success of our team cannot be overestimated. He's one of the hardest working members of my team, he's always the first to volunteer on those dangerous undercover operations and when we're sitting around brainstorming about how to approach a case, he's always candid with his insights into the criminal world - which has contributed on many occasions to helping us catch the bad guys. Neal is an invaluable asset to the Bureau and has been since he set foot on the 21st floor of the Federal Building three years ago. Unfortunately, Neal was not invited to attend tonight and to be honest with you, I, myself, struggled with whether or not I wanted to be here in light of that decision. Neal Caffrey _was_ a criminal; he was caught, charged and sentenced to four years in a federal penitentiary for bond forgery. He's almost finished serving his time and soon, he will have fully paid his debt to society. No matter what Neal's done in the past, he is a hard-working, caring individual who is an integral part of the White Collar Unit. Neal is paying his dues, reintegrating mainstream society, putting himself out there - often at great risk to his own personal safety and wellbeing. Time and time again, he puts his safety on the line without a second thought if it leads to closing a case... as a matter of fact, at times we've have to reel him in and keep him from doing something that could get him hurt or worse yet, killed'

Peter glanced at Reese Hughes, noticing him nodding, and he continued, undaunted. He was on a roll.

'Why, just last night, we closed a case at the Museum of Modern Art and Neal was injured in the takedown. With no regard for his personal safety, he managed to keep his cover intact so we could interrupt the theft of a valuable painting and catch the perpetrators in the act. He _could_ have taken the easy way out, perhaps even given the thieves an opportunity to walk away but he chose to see it through and during the takedown, one of the thieves decided to introduce Neal's face to the grip of his gun and late last night I was paying the ER a visit with my CI. Today, Neal is recuperating at home following his injury but that didn't stop him from showing up this afternoon at our debrief session despite the fact that he was in severe pain. That's the kind of man Neal Caffrey is, a fearless, committed individual who has been the driving force behind the team, pushing all of us to strive to do our best. After all, if an ex-con can push himself to that extent, then all of us trained FBI agents should be able do the same. I regret that Neal wasn't invited here tonight to share in our team's achievement and I would never forgive myself if I didn't mention his important contribution to the success of our team'

Peter stopped suddenly. He'd gone far enough, probably _much_ too far in the eyes of many. The silence in the room was deafening when suddenly, he heard a lone person clapping and he looked up to find Reese Hughes standing up to applaud his remarks. Suddenly, Diana, Jones, Elizabeth and the rest of his team were on their feet and Peter noticed Kimberly Rice standing as well as a few of his colleagues here and there. Within seconds, most of the attendees were clapping in response to Peter's impromptu comments and suddenly, he knew that despite the price he'd eventually have to pay for his little diatribe, it would have been well worth it.

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

The morning after was just _that_ : the morning after. Peter and Elizabeth slept in late and now that Peter had taken a stance and done what he believed to be the right thing, he was feeling relieved and after a few restless nights, he'd fallen asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Over at the Ellis-Caffrey residence, Sara woke on Sunday morning with a smile on her face. Her mission to give Neal an enjoyable evening had been a success although she feared he might be worse for wear when he finally came to. She glanced over at him, noticing the rainbow of colors on the left side of his face, and she winced in sympathy. She'd heard him get up a couple of times during the night but she hadn't had the energy to do much more that mumble an incoherent 'You 'k' before turning over and going back to sleep.

She got up without making a sound, gently peeling back Neal's arm which was snugly wrapped around her waist and untangling herself from his long legs. He must have taken something for the pain because he barely moved when she finally got out of his grasp and she tiptoed to the back of the apartment and straight into the delightfully warm shower. She could feel a few lingering aches and pains but they were the 'good' kind, the kind that brought to mind the amazing sex they'd had the night before. She'd been insatiable and Neal had risen to the occasion before he'd finally given in to his own pressing needs, making love to her with his usual fervor and passion. She smiled to herself as she felt the now familiar flutter in her belly and she ran her hand lovingly across her baby bump in response. Over the past week, she'd noticed that her stomach had almost doubled in size and she thought back to just a couple of weeks before when she was still trying to cram her expanding body into her regular wardrobe.

By the time she returned to the kitchen, she was dressed and ready to face the day. She grabbed the book she'd been reading and, anxious to let her tired boyfriend recuperate from a busy couple of days, she tiptoed out of the apartment to let him sleep peacefully.

WCWCWC

By Monday morning, Neal was feeling much better but Peter had insisted he take the day off so Neal rose early, made breakfast for Sara and saw her off to work, thinking ahead to a whole day of doing whatever he pleased. Now that Sara was living at June's, he was finding it difficult to keep things from her – and at the moment, he was hiding a huge surprise for her upcoming birthday. Whenever he could get away for an hour or so, he'd been working on a portrait of Sara he'd recently started and he looked forward to having the whole day to work on the painting which was tucked away in one of the bedrooms down on the second floor. It was a beautiful nude rendition of the mother-to-be with her glorious pregnant belly in full display, sitting with her body turned towards the subtle early evening light coming in from the terrace. The angle of her body was such that the outline of her breast was discreetly visible although her beautiful face and her baby bump were most definitely the prominent features of the portrait.

He'd just finished showering and changing into some 'work' clothes when he heard the discreet knock at the door.

'June!' he exclaimed as he saw his landlady standing there with a tray of coffee and assorted pastries

'Good morning!' she responded 'Sara said you had the day off so I thought we could share a cup of coffee before you got started on your day'

'Ah, June! You read my mind' Neal said as he took the tray from her and placed it on the nearby table

The aroma of Italian Roast wafted through the air, pleasantly assaulting his senses; now that his head wasn't _constantly_ throbbing, he was slowly returning to enjoying life's simple pleasures.

'Well, I _want_ to say you're looking better...' she began as she sat across from him and watched him pour them each a cup

He laughed. 'I might not be _looking_ better but I _feel_ a lot better' he insisted

June let out a sigh. Over the years, her fondness for Neal continued to grow and she hated to think of him out there taking unnecessary chances with his safety, especially now that there was a baby on the way.

'Sara looks well. Pregnancy really suits her' she said as she looked into Neal's eyes

With time, she'd overcome her initial reservations about the insurance investigator and the place she held in Neal's life - and in his heart. She could see the love and devotion in his eyes every time he looked at Sara; hell, all she had to do was utter the young woman's name and Neal's eyes became dreamy and unfocussed, a sure sign that he was really falling for her and that _this_ was the real thing.

'You know, June. Having kids wasn't even on my radar a few short months ago and now... well, now I just can't wait to see our beautiful little baby and hold him in my arms' he said wistfully

'Babies have that effect on us' June agreed, thinking back to her babies and grandbabies 'They're so tiny and vulnerable and they count on us for every little thing...'

She watched as Neal's mind seemed to wander ahead to the future and she saw a shadow of doubt cloud his gaze. She reached out to touch his hand.

'You're going to be a wonderful father, Neal' she said, surmising his thoughts

He looked at her and shrugged.

'I _want_ to be... I want to give this baby everything _I_ didn't have' he said, his voice quiet 'I just don't want to mess this up'

June thought of Byron, how he'd struggled their whole married life with staying on the straight and narrow. He'd been in jail when their girls were little and when he'd finally been released, he had vowed to her and their daughters that he would never falter again. And he never had.

'You'll do what's right, darling. I _know_ you will' June said, squeezing his hand

Neal looked up to see the kindness and understanding in June' eyes and nodded, but somehow, the insecurity lingered and he gave her one of his patented Caffrey smiles to try to cover it up.

WCWCWC

'El, you promised...' Sara said into the phone from her office

The phone was perched precariously between her ear and her shoulder as she finished typing up an e-mail all the while waving to Eileen who was standing in the doorway, letting her know her next appointment was scheduled to arrive any minute.

'Please' she pleaded to her friend '...no bells and whistles, just a nice meal'

She could see Elizabeth's face in her mind's eye, trying to refrain from going over the top with this dinner party and turning it into a major production. With Neal in the dark, it was up to Sara to make sure the evening didn't turn into a circus, something she knew he would absolutely hate.

'Alright, I promise' she heard El say, somewhat reluctantly

'And another thing, I've decided to tell him ahead of time' Sara added

There was silence on the other end. Sara knew that Elizabeth had hoped to keep it a surprise but _she_ knew better; Neal would _not_ appreciate being blindsided in this situation, of that she was certain.

'Fine' El said, giving in

For years, she and Peter had watched over Neal, trying to do what they thought was in his best interests and they'd never been challenged by anyone; now, there was someone else in Neal's life who wanted what was best for him and she had just as much - if not more - of a right to express an opinion.

'And Elizabeth... thanks for doing this. It's a lovely gesture and I know Neal will really appreciate it' she said before hanging up

Standing up to Elizabeth Burke wasn't always easy and despite the fact that Peter had been Neal's 'keeper' for the past few years, _she_ was Neal's significant other now and she needed to step up to the plate and do what she thought was best for him just as he'd been doing for her. There was a knock on the door and Sara looked up.

'Your ten o'clock is here' Eileen said

WCWCWC

The rest of the week came and went without the excitement of the previous week. Neal was glad to be back at work and his headaches eventually receded just as his colorful face began to fade, returning him to his previous Caffrey good looks. He resumed reading through boring mortgage fraud case files - which were always plentiful and managed to fill the hours while the team waited for some juicy case to come along.

There was some lingering talk about the commendation dinner, the usual water cooler gossip about who'd been wearing what, who'd said what to whom and who'd had too much to drink and had behaved inappropriately. Of course, Peter's little speech had people talking – certainly not as much as it had tongues wagging in DC but Reese and Peter hadn't yet heard a single word of reprimand from Washington. They carried on, waiting for the other shoe to drop; the bigwigs might choose to ignore his little diatribe for the time being but Peter had no doubt that his little outburst would come back to bite him in the ass at some point in the future, probably when he was least expecting it.

Although Neal hadn't been told about Peter's little tirade, he'd noticed, on a couple of occasions, that his co-workers were eyeing him with... what was that? Envy? Admiration? Wonder? whenever he stepped into a room. He shrugged it off, thinking nothing of it; after all, Neal was used to having eyes turn his way whenever he entered a room – as a matter of fact, he was disappointed when he _didn't_ have that effect on people.

After dinner on Thursday night, he and Sara sat, curled up on the couch, with her feet up on his lap and his hands just within reach of her ever expanding belly (which he proceeded to caress every chance he got). He sat there, rubbing her feet, letting his hand wander every once in a while to lovingly stroke her belly as he smiled stupidly.

'Six more days...' he said dreamily as he looked over at Sara and stroked her baby bump – again

She looked at him, unsure for a moment what he was talking about and he gave her a baffled look.

'The ultrasound!' he said, as if it were a no-brainer

'Oh, right!' she said, suddenly remembering the appointment

Although she'd had an ultrasound after her placental abruption, Neal had been undercover at the time and he'd missed all the excitement. He was looking forward to seeing the baby on the monitor and walking away with a picture of their bundle of joy. His eyes sparkled as he spoke.

'And we'll finally know if Boo-boo is a _boy_ Boo-boo or a _girl_ Boo-boo' he said mischievously, knowing full well her loathing of the nickname he'd been using for the baby over he past few weeks

'There will be NO Boo-boo, Caffrey' she said as she shooed his hand away

He laughed heartily; he loved teasing Sara. It was easy to get her going; her eyes got all wide and bright and the ordinarily laid back mom-to-be would become animated as he watched her annoyed yet predictable reaction with amusement.

She'd been putting off telling him about the dinner, uncertain how he would react but she didn't want him walking into the Burkes without a clue as to what was going on. The dinner was in two days and she decided she'd waited long enough; someone was going to spill the beans eventually if she didn't come clean – better he hear it from her.

'Did I mention that Peter and El invited us over for dinner Saturday night?' she asked nonchalantly, easing into the subject

'You did _not_ ' he said as he bent down to kiss her belly, not really listening to what she was saying

'Yeah, you know, after the commendation dinner... Peter and Elizabeth wanted to do something special for you...' she added, letting her voice trail

He looked up, confused.

'What do you mean?' he asked as his eyes met hers, seemingly aware that she was holding something back

'Well, Peter was really upset about you not being there and he wanted to have a few people over to... you know, to... sort of... recognize your contribution to the team' she said hesitantly

Now that she was saying the words out loud, they sounded lame and she looked down for a moment, waiting for Neal's reaction.

'Wow, that's nice...' he said simply before he frowned

'This isn't going to be a major production, is it?' he added. He knew Elizabeth Burke's penchant for elaborate soirées and he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to be at the centre of one of them.

Sara looked into his worried eyes.

'I made El promise to keep it on this side of extravagant. She _has_ invited a couple of people from the office, though' Sara said, trying to sound reassuring

'I'm not going to have to make a speech or anything, am I?' Neal asked, looking concerned

'I doubt it' she said running her hand through his hair and smiling at him

'Okay...' he finally said, seemingly reassured as to the magnitude of the dinner party. 'That sounds nice actually'

Sara gazed at his face, relaxed once more, and without another word, Neal returned to the business at hand, which was to place another loving kiss on her belly.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Sara swatted at the annoying tickle on her nose and was rewarded by a loud 'Ouch!' as she squinted, finally opening her eyes and letting in some unwelcome light. She was greeted by the sight of Neal Caffrey, leaning over her, eyebrows knitted and hand frantically rubbing his nose.

'I thought I would wake you up... gently' he exclaimed as he finally recovered from the unexpected blow and began to laugh softly

'Sorry... I thought you were a fly' she answered, laughing herself

'A fly?' Neal responded 'Seriously? On November 12th... in the apartment?' Neal teased as he propped himself up on his elbow

She reached up and, in an effort to make amends for her inadvertent attack, she placed a gentle kiss on the tip of Neal's nose - which he gratefully accepted.

Sara lifted her head and glanced over at the easel she had insisted Neal pull closer to their bed before they'd finally turned in for the night. She'd wanted to fall asleep with the light on, staring at her amazing birthday gift. Neal scrutinized her face, watching as it relaxed, her eyes dreamy just as they'd been the night before when he'd unveiled the portrait he'd so lovingly worked on for the last couple of weeks.

'You like it?' he asked for the umpteenth time

She rolled her eyes at him and gave him a playful shove.

'Didn't I tell you – or should I say _show_ you – just how much I loved it last night?' she said, her face bright and warm

Neal gazed over at his girlfriend fondly; after he'd surprised her with dinner out at her favorite restaurant, they had come home for dessert which Neal had prepared ahead of time and squirreled away from Sara's prying eyes. They'd walked in to find the painting prominently displayed on an easel by the doors leading out to the balcony - just the way Neal had asked (and compliments of Mozzie). Sara had been touched by its simple beauty, the emotions of the mom-to-be perfectly captured by the artist who obviously knew his subject very well. Although, on many occasions in the past, Neal had sketched Sara, he had never painted her and she was stunned by the beauty of the portrait, unpretentious and yet so full of intense emotion.

After feeding each other bites of delectable crème caramel, they had moved to the bedroom and Sara had insisted Neal bring the easel closer to the bed so she could fall asleep gazing at it. They had made love tenderly, leisurely, attentively – nothing like the frenzied lovemaking from the week before. Neal's touches had been tentative, his hands lingering on Sara's body as if he were exploring it for the very first time, treating it like the temple it was, the sacred place where their unborn child was safely secreted away, invisible to the naked eye yet so real and so loved. Neal had spent a long time kissing Sara's belly, talking to her, whispering in her ear, murmuring what it meant to him to have her carrying their cherished baby in her womb, safe from harm, a secret shared by just the two of them. They were united in this amazing adventure that no one else would ever experience and they had fallen asleep, their limbs tangled, whispers of love and longing floating in the air.

'Is this _really_ how you see me?' Sara asked as her eyes returned to the beautiful painting

He had captured her face looking calm and serene, staring off into the distance, her hand strategically placed across her breast, resting on her belly – a little larger than it was at the moment – her copper hair softly cascading over her naked shoulder, glistening in the late day sun.

'Yeah... it is' he said softly, almost embarrassed at the intensity of the feelings the painting elicited in him

'It's just... it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen' she said, getting emotional all over again, just as she had the night before

' _You_ are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen' he said as he pulled her close, cradling her against his chest

'Thank you' Sara said, her voice shaky 'That was the best birthday I've ever had'

As a child, Sara had had to contend with very rational parents who'd shunned sentimentality and she still struggled at times with sharing her life with someone who lived fully through his emotions and through his senses; an artist, a lover of life, someone who made her feel like _she_ was the only one who mattered on the face of the earth.

Neal smiled; mission accomplished.

WCWCWC

Elizabeth Burke buzzed around her home excitedly, as she always did in the last few hours before a dinner party. A casual observer might think she was miserably stressed out and frazzled – which she was, except for the 'miserably' part. She loved the tension and nervousness that fluttered in her stomach as she put the finishing touches on a special evening; she did it for a living and it was always gratifying, all the more when she was doing it all for someone she cared about.

Peter scurried in and out of sight, taking directions from Elizabeth, trying to stay out of his wife's way as much as possible. As host and assistant to the 'event planner' in their home, his job was to make certain they had the appropriate beverages on hand for their little soirées, ensuring they had everyone's favorites. In this case, El had sent him out to get six bottles of Château Neuf du Pape, Neal's favorite wine. She wanted this night to be special for the CI, down to the minute details and that included favorite foods and libations.

Peter walked through the living room, noticing El had rearranged some of the furniture, including the television set which had been placed in view of all those who would be seated around the room. He cringed as he thought of the video from the night of the commendation dinner. Elizabeth wanted to share the footage with Neal so he could hear for himself the words of appreciation and the attendees' reactions to Peter's comments that night. Although Peter stood by everything he'd said in that moment of lucidity, he _had_ gone off-script in his remarks and emotions had gotten the better of him as he'd touted Neal's considerable talents. He hated to think of Neal Caffrey having that kind of ammunition to use as he pleased at the drop of a fedora, which he knew Neal would definitely do at some point in the not too distant future. Neal would undoubtedly be touched by the sentiments expressed in the video and he'd be appropriately humbled and modest as everyone congratulated him but, let's face it, this _was_ Neal Caffrey, and in the blink of an eye, he would return to his boastful, arrogant, conceited self – undoubtedly anxious to use this volatile information to gain favor with his handler.

'Honey, did you put the beer in the fridge?' came El's voice snapping him out of his reverie

'Yeah...' Peter answered, unfocussed 'Honey, are you sure we should show Neal that video, maybe I can just make a few comments instead...'

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her husband; he didn't get to weasel out of this.

'Agent Burke, you need to stand by what you said last week' she admonished, wagging a finger in his direction

Peter made his way to the kitchen where El was working on her famous mini-quiches.

'I do... I do but... you know Neal, he's...' he began

'I _do_ know Neal and he's an amazing, sensitive man and he'll be very touched by the wonderful words you shared with everyone at the dinner' she said

'Yeah... yeah, he's sensitive but... he's also arrogant' Peter said, fessing up as to his real reluctance

Elizabeth gave her husband the evil eye.

'You guys have to learn to accept that you care very much for each other... _despite_ your differences' she responded, her eyes firmly on his

'You're not perfect either, honey...' she added as she ran her hand down his cheek 'you're just going to have to suck it up when Neal inevitably gloats about what you said – anyway, everybody else heard it, don't you think the man himself should hear what you had to say?'

Peter looked sideways at her; she was right, of course, but that didn't change the fact that he wasn't looking forward to Neal's smugness in the not too distant future.

'Did you stop by the sports' shop?' she asked, changing the subject

'No. I'm doing that now' he answered, realizing he'd lost the battle 'Do you need anything else while I'm out?'

'Did you talk to Reese?' she asked

'Yup. All set' he said as he absent-mindedly patted Satchmo's head on the way to grab the car keys

Elizabeth Burke walked over to where her husband stood and she could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

'Honey, just try to enjoy the evening' she said as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek 'don't forget we're doing this for Neal'

WCWCWC

'Are you sure you're telling me _everything_ you know about this dinner?' Neal asked as he checked out his reflection in the full length mirror by the bed

He was wearing one of Byron's suits, a favorite of his in a dark shade of gray. Sara walked up behind him, her arms moving around his waist as she fussed with his tie clip.

'I swear... full illumination' she said as he turned to face her

To Neal's delight, she'd graduated to looser fitting clothing in order to accommodate her ever expanding belly; there was no mistaking that she was a 'pregnant lady', looking resplendently radiant in a new dress in a gorgeous shade of burnt orange. The color brought out the flicker of green in her eyes and the wonderful shade of copper in her hair which she had uncharacteristically coiffed in an 'up do', making her look stylish and elegant, almost regal.

'Wow! You look beautiful!' he gushed as he turned to face her, his arms laced around her waist, baby safely tucked between them

'Thank you' she said demurely as she touched the side of his face and stared into his eyes'... and you look very handsome'

'So... no surprises tonight?' he asked again

He hated being blindsided and although he thought that Peter and Elizabeth's gesture was very kind and considerate, he didn't want to be put in a situation where he'd feel self-conscious or uncomfortable.

'Neal, this is Elizabeth we're talking about. Of course, there'll be surprises. But none that _I'm_ aware of... it should be just us, the Burkes, Jones, Diana and Christie and June and Mozzie' Sara said as she smoothed Neal's tie and looked deeply into his eyes

Except for some lingering redness in his left eye, Neal's face had returned to normal, the bruising and swelling on his face all but disappeared. The blood surrounding the baby blue of his left cornea was still jarring to look at but Neal had been reassured by the ophthalmologist that the bleeding would slowly dissipate over time. Thankfully, there had been no permanent damage to his eye _or_ his eyesight. Neal watched as Sara's gaze was drawn to the hyphema and he smiled to reassure her.

'It doesn't hurt. Stop worrying' he said as he smiled trying to make light of her concern

'Neal, I don't want anything to happen to you' she said, suddenly emotional as she pulled him closer in an urgent hug

'Nothing's going to happen to me' he said reassuringly rubbing her back and holding her close

He pulled away, staring into her glistening eyes, seeing the love and concern there; it was nice to have someone in your corner, looking out for you, no matter what. He ran his hand lovingly down her cheek and smiled back at her.

It didn't get any better than this; he was walking into a lovely dinner party in his honor, surrounded by the people he cared about with the woman he loved on his arm.

What could there possibly be _not_ to love.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

There was a time in her life when Elizabeth Burke's most fervent wish had been to have a houseful of kids: the inevitable chaos, the incessant noise, the echoing laughter, the wonderful sibling rivalries. But alas, fate had intervened and her life had taken a different path and so, over the years, she'd learned to fill the silence in her home with happy guests - something she looked forward to doing at every opportunity.

As she puttered around the kitchen, on this Saturday evening in early November, getting the last of the appetizers plated up, she took a moment to glance into the living room, taking in the smiles and happy faces of their extended family, all intent on enjoying the moment.

'So, quite a bit less formal than last week, huh?' Jones said as he elbowed Diana whose drink sloshed around in her hand

'Yeah, I much prefer this kind of get-together – and I get to bring Christie along' she said, spying her girlfriend in deep discussion with Mozzie and June

'I thought spouses were welcome last week. Why didn't you bring her _then_?' he asked

Diana gave him an eye roll. 'I just don't feel the need to share my private life with every bigwig in Washington and unfortunately, homophobia is still alive and well - despite what people would have you believe' she said, a touch of sadness in her voice

Jones gave her a shoulder shrug; he'd never thought twice about the fact that Diana was in a same-sex relationship and it hadn't crossed his mind that others might.

'Hey, you two!' Peter's voice interrupted 'Can I freshen up your drinks?'

'I'm good' said Diana as she looked around 'Still no sign of Neal?'

'We told him to get here by six thirty; you know... so he could make an entrance' Peter said

'Ah' said Jones 'now, _that_ sounds like Caffrey'

WCWCWC

Neal rushed over to the other side of the taxicab to open the car door for Sara; he'd always been a gentleman and he always would be. He didn't have very many fond memories of his mom but if there was one thing she'd managed to instill in him over the years, it was to respect women and be courteous at all times.

He took Sara's hand as she stepped out onto the curb and he admired her grace and beauty, once more. She always looked amazing – no matter what she wore – and he had a fleeting flash forward to how she might look in the delivery room, having their baby – would she be in a designer hospital gown and most importantly, would she be wearing four inch heels?

He shook off the amusingly random thought and returned to the present and those insistent butterflies in his stomach which he'd begun to notice on the cab ride over. This was an informal get together at the Burkes in whose home he'd had dinner countless times and he was surrounded by people he cared about and who cared about him; what was there to be apprehensive about? As if on cue, Sara spotted the fleeting look of discomfort in his eyes as she took his hand in hers.

'You okay, Caffrey?' she asked with a small smile

'Yeah, yeah' he said a little too quickly to be truly sincere

'It's going to be a great evening, you'll see. Just relax and enjoy it, okay?' she said with a wider smile hoping to convince him everything would be alright

His smile broadened and seemed a little more genuine this time and he took a deep cleansing breath and reached over to close the car door behind Sara. Being the centre of attention was great when you controlled the situation but for all his arrogance and airs of self-importance, deep down, Neal was insecure about his many talents and it felt strange to draw attention to something that had always come naturally to him.

The couple made their way up the steps to the Burke house, hands clasped firmly together and Neal thanked his lucky stars once again that Sara was by his side; he wasn't alone anymore.

WCWCWC

The meal was amazing, as always. Elizabeth had pulled out all the stops and June had raved about the cauliflower salad, wanting the recipe so her staff could prepare it for her next bridge club. Everyone chatted loudly, laughter echoing through the Burke home as the small, close knit group of friends enjoyed each others' company as well as the excellent food prepared by their hostess. Mozzie was spouting his usual doomsday scenarios and conspiracy theories as June listened patiently to her bespectacled friend. Jones, seated on the other side of Mozzie, wasn't as generous and he steadfastly countered every single one of the conman's outlandish assumptions, unable or unwilling to let Mozzie's paranoia get the better of him.

As always, El was the consummate hostess and she presided over the meal, sitting at the head of the table with Peter directly to her right. His main duties included helping to serve the meal and keeping everyone's glass filled with the wonderful wine he'd bought. Diana and Christie sat, side by side, chatting with Sara about some art gallery opening they'd been to and Neal was seated next to his girlfriend, taking it all in from the sidelines, enjoying the sight of the motley crew who, at first sight, appeared to have very little in common with each other except for their individual connections to him.

He glanced around the table, realizing that through some bizarre twist of fate (divine intervention?), this diverse group of individuals had somehow become his extended family. When he'd convinced Peter to let him work for the Bureau three years earlier, it had all been a carefully crafted con and originally, he'd had no intention of sticking around to fulfill his end of the bargain with the FBI. He'd figured he and Mozzie would make quick work of his anklet and that they would take off after Kate, happily resuming their previous life of crime which had been so rudely interrupted by his impromptu stay in prison. Little had he known back then that Peter, Elizabeth, June and later Sara would all factor in his eventual transformation – a journey he hadn't planned on taking nor had he realized he'd wanted to take in the first place. Now, he couldn't walk away if he tried. His emotional ties with these amazing people were rock-solid and he had a life in New York that he never wanted to leave behind; his brief escape to Cape Verde had led him to the realization that all the riches in the world were meaningless without people to share them with.

By the time the meal ended, Elizabeth directed everyone's attention to the large screen television which had been placed for everyone to see. Neal glanced nervously at Sara, wondering what _that_ was all about and she reached over, under the table, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it for good measure. As Peter rose to set everything up, there were the obligatory snarky comments from Jones and Diana about Peter's limited skills in all things electronic but Peter soldiered on and in no time, the screen came alive revealing the goings-on at the Baccarat Hotel one short week before.

Peter was standing at a podium and after some polite applause from the audience, he could be heard talking about his wonderful team, their many virtues and their unwavering commitment to getting the job done. Neal smiled as he listened to Peter speak; he shared the same respect for the men and women he worked with; they had covered his ass on many occasions and they made going to work each day a more pleasant experience than it had a right to be.

When Peter had finished talking and had put away his speaking notes, Neal's heart sank briefly as he realized that he would always remain on the periphery of this wonderful group of people he worked with every day. He tried to shake off the melancholy and he looked over at Peter who was smiling at him, seemingly having picked up on the fleeting sadness in his CI's eyes. Neal covered up his dejection with a quick smile back but it didn't fool Peter who could see that the Bureau's snub had hurt Neal deeply and had inadvertently fed into his insecurities about his place as a bona fide member of the White Collar team.

After the applause had died down, Neal noticed that Peter remained standing at the podium staring thoughtfully at the award he'd just been handed as if he were in some sort of a trance. Neal immediately recognized the statuette in Peter's hands - he'd noticed it sitting proudly on the mantle in the Burke living room the moment he'd walked in earlier. It was a clear glass statuette in the shape of the FBI logo and he could see some engraving on it, probably the names of the team members, he surmised. He returned his attention to the screen as Peter began to speak once again.

Neal watched and listened, his eyes wide as Peter mentioned Neal's name, commenting on the fact that a very important member of their team wasn't among the names listed on the award and Neal returned his gaze to his partner with a questioning look. Peter smiled back and gave Neal a head nod towards the monitor, urging him to keep watching. As Peter spoke of Neal and his invaluable contribution to their team, Sara could feel Neal's hand beginning to relax in her grasp as a genuine smile began to light up his face. The more Peter talked, the bigger Neal's smile got and try as he might to act blasé about it, by the time Peter had finished talking, Neal just couldn't keep from grinning from ear to ear.

The hotel ballroom and the Burke living room grew quiet as Peter finally stopped speaking and suddenly, the sound of a lone person applauding could be heard breaking the silence at the Baccarat Hotel. The camera, which had been recording Peter's speech, jerked as it followed the sound of the applause trying to find the person who was now clapping enthusiastically. Neal watched in surprise as the video camera searched the room and finally stopped on Reese Hughes who was standing alone, clapping in support of Peter's latest remarks. Before long, the applause grew and Neal watched as others in the ballroom began to stand up and applaud in support of the senior agent.

Suddenly, Neal realized that the dinner guests were _also_ standing around the Burke's dining room table, applauding loudly and turning towards Neal as he sat there in shock. Sara let go of his hand and stood beside him to join everyone in their enthusiastic standing ovation as Neal sat there, mouth agape, struggling to take it all in.

As the applause began to fade, there was a decisive knock at the front door and Peter was up in a flash to answer – almost as if he'd been expecting it.

'Are you expecting any other guests?' June asked as she turned to her hostess

Before Elizabeth could answer, the door opened revealing Reese Hughes standing in the doorway, looking relaxed in dress pants and a shirt; not the usual stiff suit the team was used to seeing him in every day.

'Is this a good time?' he asked as he made his way into the living room

' _Perfect_ timing!' Peter responded as everyone stood to greet the newcomer

Neal exchanged a puzzled look with Jones who seemed just as stunned as he was to see their boss appear in the middle of a social affair but El and Peter didn't look the least bit surprised as Reese was ushered in. He shook hands with everyone and when he finally made it over to where Neal stood, he put out his hand in greeting.

'Caffrey!' he said in his usual gruff manner

'It's good to see you, sir' Neal said as he shook his hand

Reese's eyes moved to the woman standing next to the ex-con and Neal's gaze followed, realizing introductions might be in order.

'Sir, I believe you know Sara Ellis' Neal said as he turned towards his girlfriend

'Sterling Bosch, right? Yes, I believe we've met' Hughes said, taking Sara's outstretched hand

'I understand congratulations are in order' he continued as he looked from Sara to Neal

Neal put his arm protectively around Sara and beamed proudly.

'Yes sir, we're expecting a baby at the end of March' Sara explained with a smile

Reese didn't say anything but nodded approvingly and smiled at the happy couple.

'Caffrey, I wanted to stop by and tell you in person that the Bureau is very proud of the work you've done since you've been with us. You've shown us that you're willing to take on some tough cases and see them through to the end' he began

'Thank you sir' Neal said as he listened to the older man's praise

'Now, I don't want you to get too big for your britches, Caffrey' Hughes warned, his voice serious 'You still have a ways to go before you finish your sentence but I wanted you to know that we appreciate your hard work and we thank you for your service to the Bureau'

Neal smiled and thanked him again, noticing Peter grinning out of the corner of his eye.

'Now, if you'll excuse me. My wife will have my head if I don't get back to the car in time to make it to the opening act of La Bohème' Hughes said as he rolled his eyes and shook his head – obviously not _his_ choice for a night out

He bid everyone a good night and was gone in an instant, leaving Neal and the rest of the guests bewildered.

'Wow!' Neal said as he made his way over to Peter 'Didn't see that one coming'

'Thought you might appreciate hearing how much you're respected by everyone at the Bureau' Peter said '... well, everyone that matters that is' he added with a wink

Neal, Mr. Silvertongue, seemed at a loss for words and he just kept staring at Peter, obvious gratitude in his eyes. He could feel a lump forming in his throat and in order to avoid embarrassment - and in true Caffrey style - he attempted a deflection, turning towards the mantle nearby.

'So, this is the famous award!' Neal said, changing the subject

'It is' Peter said as he watched Neal carefully examine the statuette

'This is nice Peter, you should keep it in your – '

He stopped suddenly, his eyes glued to the award in his hand and he gazed up at Peter who was grinning widely, raising his eyebrows waiting for some sort of reaction to what Neal had just discovered.

'But... aren't you going to get in trouble for this?' Neal finally asked as he ran his hand over the plate with the name 'Neal George Caffrey, confidential informant' engraved

'Naw. I'm already in enough trouble as it is. This is staying in the New York office anyway' he said casually although Neal knew full well Peter was going out on a limb for him - again.

'Thanks Peter' Neal finally said, decidedly choked up

Peter reached out to give his CI a hug. 'Well deserved, Neal, well deserved!'

La fin


End file.
